Hold Me Tight and Don't Let Go
by elle127
Summary: Bleach/Twilight. Posted in a town called Forks, a team of Soul Reapers must make a difficult choice when one of their own is seriously injured. Ichigo X OC
1. Mark the Mission

**Elle:** _Hello, I'm back with an original story, yay! Just a few notes, major appearances by all six of my OCs, and also, Risa the narrator refers to the Gotei-13 as G-13 and each company is referred to as D-company number. So here you go…and enjoy! _

**Chapter One: Mark the Mission**

Silence, the Seireitei was full of it; hence the name "quiet spirit corner" and it was as nerve-wracking as it was reassuring. Reassuring because it meant that nothing was attacking us, most of the time and nerve wracking because Captain Soi Fon of D-2 had her stealth force out and Captain Kuchiki of D-6 was skulking about somewhere.

Today the silence was unnatural, hushed and above all heavy. The last time the heaviness played on my nerves like this, the chain of events that followed is one I'd rather not talk about.

Another thing that bothered me was that I walked alone, making myself an open target. But I was a captain; even still it made me uneasy. Though I would never admit it to either of them, I felt safer with my lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi or San Seki Marcus Flint with me.

Feeling slightly uneasy I headed back to my office in hopes that Marcus or Shuhei would be there.

_What am I thinking?_ I thought. I knew both of them were playing volleyball for the school we were pretending to attend while the entire arrancar/Bount mess was sorted out, and by that nowhere near the Seireitei.

It was empty and quiet, with my luck these two factors would multiply into casualties quickly. It was annoying, really annoying because as a captain I was usually called onto the front lines. I bit my lip.

With the mistakes made during the Rukia Kuchiki fiasco I hoped Yamamoto had cleaned up the act and with that making it a priority to tell a captain when their subordinates were incapacitated. Because it pissed me off last time when a member of D-13 was injured and it went through two and a half companies and I found out before Jushiro and I was the lieutenant at the time.

But that was all before I started dating Ichigo Kurosaki causing the entire Gotei-13 to start talking and it took forever to shut them up. Mainly because so many people thought I could do better than a substitute soul reaper. Why should a captain settle for anything lower than lieutenant?

Emmett Cullen had the answer. Sort of.

To Emmett everything was the birds and the bees with my vampire friend.

"What it all boils down to Risa," he had said. "Is who has more umph, get me?"

The conversation promptly ended there.

My travels had taken me around the barracks twice and I ended up by D-6. If Byakuya-sama was in his office I could bother him to stop the uneasy feeling that was overwhelming me.

His office door was solid oak with a shiny bronze plaque that read "Captain Kuchiki, Division Six" Under than his San Seki, my best friend Jennifer Bletchley had taped a sheet of white lined paper that read: "Petition: all in favor of Kicking Yamamoto out of office and replacing him with Kuchiki-taichou" and the signatures belonging to Jen, our friend Jake Emmerson (D-3 captain). This was one of several of Jen's spur-of the moment ideas. I had to admit that this one seemed pretty logical. Personally I'd rather have Byakuya as head captain than old man Yamamoto. We'd probably get stuff done. Plus if he does that, I move to D-6 and get my number back. (Seat one division six=16, right now I'm 19). I'll put a sign on my door, as long as Jen stays far away from sharp objects we're good.

Getting back on subject I opened the door not bothering to knock because I knew it was pointless.

"Captain Uchimani," he greeted me curtly. He was sitting at his desk doing paper work like a good captain. (I paid off the unseated officers in my Division to do mine)

"Kuchiki-taichou," I greeted promptly sitting down on his couch.

"It's been quiet," he said, "with Hisagi and Abarai in the world of the living. Are they back?"

"Negative," my answer was curt.

"Kurosaki?"

"No idea, kid does what he wants."

"If he's your yon seki I'd think you'd have some control over the boy."

"Yeah, how much control do I have over Flint again? Or you Bletchley?" I said. Byakuya was always questioning my abilities as a Captain.

"That doesn't matter much, what happens between me and my men is as you're your business as what happens between you and your men is mine."

"Um," damn he got me. There were to methods of dealing with Byakuya when he started to get vague, method A the Renji where you are a kiss-ass and method B the Jen where you are a smart ass. Obviously I went with the latter.

"You seem rather talkative today taichou," I said. "Wanna go see if Kenny wants to hold conversation?"

"That's irrelevant," Byakuya said filing through papers and just not caring. I was annoyed now and my mission became to annoy him as much.

"This is not irrelevant!" I yelled. "Pigs flying is irrelevant!"

I knew I had annoyed him and I promptly ran out of the office to avoid being ripped into a million pieces by Senbon Zakura.

I shuddered, imaging trying to explain that one to Amy.

Once again I was outside in the quiet and I felt uneasy. My pager went off at that moment and I looked at the message.

"Of all times to be doing this," I hissed. Of course Yamamoto wanted a Captain's meeting. They always seemed to occur whenever I didn't want to go to them…then again, when did I ever?

Now that I had a purpose to be out I headed toward the First Division Barrack to put up with my fellow Captains being all annoying.

I was the first one there, besides Yamamoto, who I think has only left his chair twice in his life. There was nothing else to do but mill around and wait for Division Ten Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya or Division Three Captain Jake Emmerson to show up. I could kill an hour talking about volleyball with the two of them.

Next to come was Soi Fon and she was not happy at all. There's something to be said about being a girl, I could tell at once what was bothering her. None of the other Captains that filed in seemed remotely happy about being here.

Once all thirteen of us had arrived I waited between Komamura and Kenpachi, waiting for Yamamoto to give us a topic, so we could watch Jake and Byakuya battle it out from their posts.

The biggest miracle of all happened during today's meeting…Yamamoto actually got out of his chair to address us. It was only fair because it was him who had ordered us to stand in two straight rows, odd captains on one side, evens on the other. Poor Toshiro had to stand next to Kurotsuchi and I pitied the boy.

"Everyone," Yamamoto announced. "I have an announcement."

Like we didn't figure _that_ out?

"Aizen is planning an attack on a town called Forks in the state of Washington," Yamamoto droned. I was actually paying attention, I knew people that lived in Forks.

"I have decided to post several men there, posing as various people from students to adults to keep watch, remember this is Aizen so keep your guard up."

I was rocking on the balls of my feet; I wanted to shotty this mission so bad. I hadn't seen my friends in a while, even though I was nearly two hundred years old, I looked seventeen and could easily pull off being a student. It was my specialty, I had done it at a boarding school in England and it went off really well. I hope Yamamoto remembered that.

I drowned out the rest of the speech because it was all stuff I already knew and waited for him to assign us posts in the World of the Living. Of course Yamamoto started with Soi Fon and worked his way down.

"Uchimani-taichou," he said when it was my turn. "You will pick three men to take with you and pose as students in Forks High School, since your mission at Hogwarts went smoothly, I'm expecting the same."

I smiled, punching the air in delight. My assignment played my strengths at let me hang out with my friends in Forks. Jake was looking happy as well, him, Toshiro and I being the youngest looking Captains were assigned the same posts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That night I paced through my barrack throwing whatever I needed into a backpack. My lieutenant, Shuhei Hisagi, and San and Yon Seki, Marcus Flint and Ichigo Kurosaki, watched, their bags already packed. Ok I'm a girl and I travel like one, by pack light, that means as much as I can cram into two suitcases and two carry-ons. I paced the room throwing books and clothes pell-mell into a suitcase and trying to figure out the best way to compile it.

Shuhei laughed at my attempts and I had to remind him who was carrying his girlfriend, Amy's bags at the airport.

The entire airport thing took me for a spin but I guess it was to make the entire effect more convincing. If twenty-two Japanese transfer students just popped out of nowhere I would get suspicious and that's the last thing we needed on this mission. There was a knock at the door, and it jarred my already haphazard thoughts.

Marcus ran to open it; Renji was standing in the doorway. He was one of the twenty-two going.

"You guys almost ready?" he asked looking at the small pile of suitcases belonging to the boys. The three of them responded with either a nod or yes.

"No," I answered curtly trying to close my suitcase. I guess I packed too much because even with me sitting on it (and I'm no pixy, I'm five foot eight) it still wouldn't close. Reluctantly I emptied out some of my clothes and closed my suitcase.

Renji led us to one of the gates leading to the world of the living. The other members of the squad were there carrying luggage. How we were going to get all of this to the world of the living was beyond me but I suspected that some magic was being used.

The third company ensemble composed of the twins, Jake and Jack Emmerson and Izuru Kira were there, ready and waiting as single members of fourth and fifth, Amy Flint and Momo Hinamori respectively. Sixth sent three, the captain, lieutenant and san seki, Byakuya Kuchiki, Renji Abarai and Jennifer Bletchley, Kyoraku and Nanao for eight, My division sent four, Me, Shuhei, Marcus and Ichigo, Tenth two, Toshiro and his lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, Eleventh, Kenpachi, Yachiru Kusajishi, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, finally thirteenth was going in with two, their captain Jushiro Ukitake, and newly promoted yon seki Rukia Kuchiki.

The Hell Butterflies were released and we passed through the Dangai to Tokyo to begin our mission.


	2. In the Airport

Chapter Two: In the Airport

**Elle**: _it was brought up what the meaning of San Seki was, it means third seat, yon seki fourth seat ect…vaguely described OCs do get more detail be patient _

We had no sooner arrived at the airport when twenty-two soul pagers had gone off. Apparently two missions, ours and an older one had gotten mixed together and way two many Soul Reapers were assigned this mission. Out of the twenty-two of us they ordered twelve back and there was much fuss about who should stay and who should go.

I felt that I should stay, out of mission type I had the most experience and I knew people in Forks, which would be a vital asset to our success. Others had different opinions.

The Emmersons of D-3 refused point blank to leave; Izuru Kira however was having second thoughts about the whole ordeal. Jake Emmerson the Captain of the Division told Izuru to go home and keep and eye on the Division. He went wholeheartedly. Sometimes I wonder what Jake sees in him.

Amy Flint of D-4 wanted to stay but was kind enough to let Momo Hinamori take her place. There was a debate over a lieutenant being sent as opposed to a san seki. That one took a while to think out.

D-6 all wanted to stay, Renji wasn't leaving and neither was Jen. Byakuya told Amy that she could take his spot and both Momo and Amy were on the stay list

D-8 left, where they went was a mystery and it was best assumed they went drinking. Two more out.

My division, D-9 was all staying period end of story, I stay and they have no choice but to follow.

Toshiro Hitsugaya of D-10 stayed and Matsumoto returned to keep order in the Seireitei. Personally I think they should have reversed it but we need Toshiro if we're fighting Aizen.

I looked around trying to find D-11. They were missing too.

"Kenpachi and his idiots are missing," I told the group and a few moaned. Jushiro of D-13 said he'd return to the Seireitei leaving Rukia in his place.

Now that we had our members (We sent back eleven) we had a new mission: to find D-8 and D-11.

Tokyo Airport was huge how the hell were we going to do this?

Turns out D-8 was drinking at a sake bar, we sent them back no questions asked. D-11 was a bit more of a challenge. We had combed the entire airport trying to find them and to no avail. It was annoying.

Out of sheer whim Marcus suggested we look at baggage return, it was the only area we hadn't combed thoroughly. I wished we had listened to him sooner. We got to the section started to search. Behind us the one luggage return cart started to move. Sure enough after waiting a few minutes the men and girl in question showed up riding the conveyer belt. I decided not to ask, I had way too much experience with D-11 and their crazy plans.

We joined the rest back at Check-in where Shuhei and Renji were waiting on line with everyone's luggage.

I leaned back against the glass wall watching everyone from suit-clad business men talking to the cell phones by their ears to tourists laughing jovially talking about trips they had taken pass us by. Ichigo was sitting next to me holding my hand and I realized that I hadn't paid attention to him since we were assigned this mission.

"Risa," he said. I snapped myself out of my trance and met his dark brown eyes.

"What is it Ichigo-kun?" I asked. We hadn't spoken in a while either.

"You seem upset about something," he said. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder, a position that I would be taking up on the 5-hour plane ride. I had to admit he was observant. Nobody else had realized that something was bothering me, either that or they were afraid to ask. I looked around making sure everyone was out of earshot. I leaned into Ichigo and whispered in his ear.

"Forks is a very small town that nobody had ever heard of, why Aizen wants to attack there is beyond me. Also we have no idea how he wants to do this, going in with this little information makes me uneasy about the entire thing."

"We should be alright," Ichigo said soothingly. "You Jake and Toshiro know what you're doing, even if everyone else doesn't." He kissed my lips softly and I had to remind myself that there were little kids around so I pecked him back on the lips.

I had settled into a comfortable position with my head on Ichigo's shoulder and his arm around my waist when Marcus had to ruin the happy moment.

"Risa," he said coming over and standing right in front of him. "Do you know the meaning of 'pack light'?"

"Yes," I snapped, jumping up and facing him. He was six foot and had a few inches over me. My liquid blue eyes bore into his dark brown one's daring him to blink. I didn't care if he was one of my best friends at the moment, I was still his captain.

"I did pack light," I said. "The only reason I have the extra bag is because I'm not an egotist and decided to bring the Cullen's presents."

Our stare down continued for a while. Ichigo watched both of our faces in amusement. The rest of the team had come over and watched up for a while before Toshiro said something along the lines of:

"Guys, we have a plane to catch and the Eleventh Division idiots cost us enough time."

"We're never gonna get to Forks if you keep acting like a dumbass," the girl with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes snapped. Her comment was directed at Marcus and with good reason. That was Amy Flint, the san seki of D-4. Amy was the type of person that the saying "never judge a book by its cover" applies to. She may have looked like a sweet innocent nineteen year old but in truth she should have a home in D-11 not D-4. She was a medical genius though which had altered her placement.

Marcus obeyed Amy; she had almost total control over him and much more than I did. And it was by her orders that Marcus had blinked loosing our stare down.

We started the trek to the security check in and once we got there stared at the line. It was immensely long.

"You gotta be kidding me with this," Renji said looking at all the people. He had his backpack slung over his shoulder and looked like such the tourist. I sighed and tried to find the shortest line.

The twins Jake and Jack were already on line, two different lines and were in competition to see who could get through their line faster. The rest of us just piled on a line behind Amy and waited there.

The line moved at a snails pace. Ichigo had his arm wrapped around my waist and I stood close next to him.

"Hey Marcus," I said suddenly. "Tell Jake to take off his belt, Jack too, the studs will set off the metal detectors."

I looked down at my belt. It was a black studded belt and I knew it would set off the detectors. I checked the rest of the team they were good. I figured if we had prepped now, and took off our shoes and the rest of the airport security things you had to do on the line it would elevate the time spend going through the checkpoint.

So finally after about twenty minutes of waiting Jake was the fist one through the gate. He stood on the other side watching us and laughed at the fact that we still on line.

Finally the rest of us were able to get through and Toshiro said we had half an hour to catch our flight departing from gate 75. We were at gate seven.

Once we were all though we stole quick glances at each other before we all took off at full sprint toward the gates. Let me tell you, I was a soul reaper captain and sparred Kenpachi Zaraki for fun, that run was hard. I was carrying a black messenger bag and it kept cutting into my shoulder and slamming against my hip as I ran to make it to the gate. By some miracle we arrived with ten minutes to spare and they had just started boarding our section.

Panting and wheezing we handed the flight attendant our boarding passes and passports and went through the tunnel and onto the plane. When we got on I had the simple reaction of "You gotta love the Gotei 13"

Whoever had gotten the tickets had paid for all the seats in first class since we thought we were bringing more. The entire section was closed off to us.

I collapsed in a cushy seat and Ichigo sat down in the one next to me. Jen ran up and sat by the window in front of me. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her dark brown eyes were shining. Marcus sat down next to her. Behind us Toshiro and Momo had occupied the seats. Jack and Rukia sat together up toward the front, Amy and Shuhei sat behind them. All that was left were Renji and Jake and they both sat alone. Jake took as many blankets as he could and made his empty double seat a bed. Renji did the same.

Once the plane had taken off and reached its cruising altitude of thirty-one thousand feet the seat belt signs turned off. Ichigo had already passed out in his seat and was snoring softly. I rested my head on his chest and let his heart lull me to sleep.


	3. Don't Start With This Already

**Elle:** _Back by popular demand! After a really bad case of writer's block, I found a story I had written a while ago that was similar to this one. After I reread it I was able to come back to this story and start it again. Hope you enjoy :)_

Chapter three

"_**Sierra one in position," Jules said. I could see her shadow in the building. "I've got the solution."**_

_**I turned my attention back to the man behind me. The situation wasn't what I would call pleasant. A turn of events and I found myself at Hogwarts with Jen's cousin Jules's SWAT team based in Canada. They were skilled in hostage negotiation and right now I was the hostage.**_

_**My captor was none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, the same woman who had murdered Sirius Black at the Ministry of Magic last summer. She had held me hostage back then but I had managed to get her off me and accidently sent her up three levels to where the SRU were located. Now it was different. I wasn't talking, I couldn't say anything.**_

"_**Bellatrix," in front of us stood two men; Greg Parker and Sam Braddock. Sam and Greg were behind riot shields but Sam had his sidearm pointed at Bellatrix. She had her wand at my throat and was digging it deeper into my flesh. She was going to kill me in a matter of seconds. "Release Risa and put the weapon down."**_

_**I myself was wearing riot gear and even though the vest could stop most bullets it wouldn't do shit if Bellatrix used Avada Kedarva. **_

_**Part of me wanted to run away, a bloody coward with my tail between my legs but the other part, the part that was the Gotei-13 captain screamed stay. If I died it would be with honor. **_

_**Bellatrix showed no signs of letting me go and Greg sensed it as well and he was forced to call his least favorite order.**_

"_**Scorpio" and the seconds before the bullet from the sniper hit the target Bellatrix had screamed "Avada Kedarva" with her wand at my throat….**_

I woke up some hours later, sweating and shaking. It took me a few minutes to realize where I was: on a plane to Seattle. My teammates were all curled up in the first class seats fast asleep; the kind of sleep where a nuclear war could be going on right in front of them and they'd still sleep. It had to be pretty late in Japan, where all of our body clocks were set.

A shaky shiver passed over me. The nightmare that had wakened me had seemed so real. Too real. I shook the thought from my head.

"Risa?" My movements had woken up Ichigo. "Are you ok?"

"What?' I asked slightly dazed. It took a few minutes for what he asked to register. "Yeah, I'm fine had a nightmare, I'm, I'm fine really."

"Do you want some water or something?" Ichigo asked. I pulled the black scratchy airplane blanket over my body and turned on my side.

"No," I snapped bitterly.

"Fine, be like that," he snapped back. "Women." He muttered.

"Oh shit that's cold!" I had to admit that Renji yelling was a better wake up call than Marcus poking me non-stop. I wondered who decided to mess with Renji. I sat up in the seat and my question was answered. Jake and Jack were hiding behind the seats up front with a bucket of ice and identical grins.

The seat next to mine was empty; Ichigo must have had to answer Mother Nature. Across the seat Jen was rocking out to her iPod while Marcus was at the bar grabbing some breakfast. It was a good thing we had the section to ourselves because we were all used to hearing Jen belt Bon Jovi or some other eighties music at the top of her earphones. Amy was convinced that Jen was going to go deaf before age twenty five. Her music was so loud I could hear "Shot Through the Heart" in my seat, but that was probably because she didn't have the headphones plugged all the way into her itouch.

Ichigo had come back from the men's room and remained cold towards me. I shot him a sideways glance and he pulled a manga from the seat pocket and ignored me. I got up out of my seat to go bother Renji.

I could feel Ichigo send me daggers as I sat down next to the red haired lieutenant.

"What happened to you two?" Renji asked as I sat down on the plushy chair next to him. I rolled my eyes.

"Let's not talk about it shall we?" I said bitterly.

"I can see why ice princess," Renji said smirking. I rolled my eyes and slumped into the chair.

My bad mood persisted and became worse as the clouds outside became greyer. It was a relief when the pilot got on the intercom and made the announcement that we would be arriving in Seattle in forty-five minutes.

Once again my team found ourselves back at he airport at the luggage return carousel. This time however we waited impatiently for our own luggage that seemed to be the last set unloaded from the plane.

I wheeled my black suitcase out of the airport looking for some sign of my friends when suddenly a blur of motion came running at me and pulled me into a spine-breaking hug. There could only be one person who could do that.

"Hello Alice," I squeaked trying to force air into my lungs. She seemed to realize that she was choking me because she let go and stood back to admire my travel weary body. Jake and Jack had come up behind me dropping their bags at my feet.

"Alice, Jake, Jack," I introduced them. "Jake, Jack, Alice"

"Hi," said Jake. He was bleary eyed and thirty seconds away from passing out on the floor.

"Hey," said Jack. By then the rest of my travel weary team had joined us and we we're headed toward the parking lot.

"Hey," Jen said suddenly halfway out. "How are we gonna transport all of us?"

"You had the nerve to ask that question?" I muttered more to myself. Alice bounded ahead of us. Toshiro shook her head at Alice's endless energy. Once she had lead us out into the parking lot Jen's question was answered. Underneath the overcast sky sat four cars all but one accompanied by a person. Bronze haired and slender Edward Cullen leaned casually against the hood of his silver Volvo. Next to him was Emmett, the jock playing with the grill on his monstrous jeep. His wife, Rosalie Hale leaned against her red BMW casting my team some cold stares. Alice's yellow Porsche stood next to Rosalie.

"Throw your shit in the jeep," Emmett instructed popping open the hatch. We did what we were told. I expected Jake or Jen to snap back with a comment but even they were too tired to say anything. Once all of our stuff was in the jeep we split ourselves into smaller units and got into one of the cars. Jake Jen and I climbed into Emmett's Jeep while Ichigo Renji and Shuhei got into Rosalie's BMW. Rukia Momo and Amy went with Edward leaving Alice with Jack Toshiro and Marcus.

The drive from the airport to Forks was long dull and above all quiet. I fell asleep as Emmett drove farther away from civilization and deeper into the unknown where a small town with a population of three court guard divisions resided. But he didn't pull into town. Alice was leading the way and she pulled off the main road onto a drive that was long and endless. It twisted and turned and finally revealed a house at the end of it.

The four cars pulled into the driveway and Emmett popped the back of the jeep. Jen and I went to pull our crap from the mess but Alice was already unloading it with little effort. She took mine and Jake's bags from the pile and brought them inside. Everyone else grabbed something to take into the house.

The house was huge. Large windows let the nonexistent sun in and the open floor plan gave an airy appearance. Eclectic art decorated the walls including a collection of all the Cullen's graduation caps. Toshiro had wandered next to me and examined the piece.

"There's something strange about these people," he said. I sighed; trust Toshiro to pick up anything. I assumed he was telling me his suspicions because last time he had been sent back to the soul society halfway through the mission. I ruffled the smaller captain's hair playfully. He hated that.

"Yeah, Snowball-chan," I said when he smacked my hand away. "There is"

"Arisa," I turned around. Esme Cullen the family Matriarch was coming down the stairs. She gave me a gentle hug and held out her hand for Toshiro to shake. "I'm Esme, what's your name?"

She said it seriously, treating Toshiro like an adult instead of a child. He shook her hand and quickly let go.

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya," he said proudly. Esme turned her attention back to me.

"I'm sorry if you guys have to double up in the guest rooms," she said taking me up the stairs.

"That's more than fine," I said quickly. "We are grateful that you even allowed us lodgings under such short notice."

She led me to the one guest room where all the girls were staying. Rukia and Amy were already inside claiming beds. It was a large and lavish room much like that of a hotel suit. I thanked Esme and walked inside collapsing on the nearest bed.

"Anyone call dibs yet?" I asked voice muffled in the plush comforter.

"Nope," Rukia replied putting something away. I smiled to myself.

"Mine now," I said.

**Elle:** _so now I have a lot more of the story written and I should be able to update weekly at the least. So review please and give me a hint as to how I'm doing so far ;) _


	4. Emmett's Idea

**Elle**: _ok, so I wrote this chapter before I wrote the rest of the story and it was sitting in my saved file. I thought this was a good place to add it into the story._

* * *

Chapter Four

Emmett had an idea. And for once his idea didn't involve sex. In order for the Cullens to get to know my team better he suggested we play a game of baseball. Alice had seen a storm brewing tonight and it was perfect timing.

Emmett had to bring this up just after I had finished explaining the entire situation to Carlisle and Jen was bouncing at the idea. She was one of the best softball players at our school and speaking of school…

"Oh by the way it's summer," someone, probably Rukia or maybe Amy I forgot who, had pointed out. So much for my posing as a student success. So with all the annoying details out of the way we took Emmett up on his offer.

The weather was rainy and downright wet, with no sun at all. Here I was playing first base for a baseball team composed of four vampires and four soul reapers.

I had met the Cullen's by accident during a mission in Forks Washington several years back. I still kick myself under the circumstances. I had allowed myself to be attacked by a spider and found myself in the hospital under Carlisle Cullen's care. Since then I became friends with his children and being a Soul Reaper was able to learn their secret. The Cullen's were a clan of vampires.

I had become fast friends with Emmett Cullen mainly because we both like sports, and gradually I became friends with the remaining six Cullens.

So today me, the Cullens and a few of my soul reaper friends were engaged in a Battle Royal, Cullen Baseball Style.

My team consisted of me, Emmett, my best friend Jennifer Bletchley, her boyfriend Marcus Flint, my boyfriend Ichigo Kurosaki, Toshiro Hitsugaya Emmett's wife/girlfriend Rosalie, Alice Cullen and her husband/boyfriend Jasper Hale.

Opposing us were, Edward and Bella, Esme and Carlisle, Marcus's sister Amy and her boyfriend Shuhei, Rukia and the twins Jake and Jack Emmerson. Toshiro's girlfriend Momo Hinamori was Umpire, because the boys liked to cheat.

After the seventh inning Emmett decided to switch things up a bit. By that he meant Soul Reapers vs. Vampires.

It was definitely Emmett's idea and it pissed me off because when I looked at my team only Jen and Amy actually played softball. I ran track and everyone else played lacrosse. The only baseball experience I had was when I used to play kick ball in fourth grade. I liked playing on mixed teams, when we lost it wasn't some insanely high number to zero.

So here I was not complaining playing first with Jen's old softball mitt. This was definitely a mark of how close we were because Jen never leant any softball equipment out. Ever

She was our pitcher and a damn good one at that. So far she had struck out Jasper and Alice. Now with Bella up to bat Jen pitched again, underhand so it arced. Jack who was playing catcher caught the ball and threw it back to Jen. As I said: Jen was the only human who could strike out a vampire and it was scary.

She caught the ball in her pink softball mitt and returned to face Emmett up at bat. They stared each other down before she pitched and he hit the ball way into the out field. He smirked jogging around the bases as if he had gotten a home run. I thought so because he had hit the ball pretty hard.

Emmett rounded third just as cocky and started his home stretch when suddenly Jake came out of nowhere in a blur of movement and tagged Emmett out. It was the third out and the soul reapers were up at bat.

Alice pitched for the Vampires, and looked more like a ballerina than a baseball player. According to Jen however, Alice pitched well and could place it in the batter's box and rarely walked people. In English that meant Alice was sneaky and would strike you out.

It was my turn up at bat. I sympathized with Bella; I lacked the talent needed to hit a baseball. Alice pitched me the ball and I swung and to my surprise I made contact. I stared as the little white dot flew away forgetting that I had to run to first base. Jen shoved me in the right direction.

The stupid vampires had to double the space between the bases making the stretch harder. I saw Esme closing in to complete the play with Rosalie to get me out. I was a soul reaper with the record for longest shun-po stride. I build up spirit energy in my feet and kicked off of the ground hard, propelling myself the remaining meters to first. I got there just as the ball brushed Rosalie's fingers.

"Safe!" Rukia yelled.

Jen was up at bat after me and like always proved she could play with the vampires. She hit one right into the outfield and used the shun-po her captain Byakuya Kuchiki had taught her to get around the bases making the score two nothing.

By then it had started to rain. Emmett and Jasper as well as the rest of the Cullens showed no inkling to stop the game. My team was in the field again and I stood at first soaking wet.

Jen pitched Edward the ball and he put it straight into left field. I heard Jen groan because nobody puts it in left field. Jake was the only fielder out there and he used shun-po to beat the ball.

After several hard fought innings later the soul reapers were soaking wet and gasping for breath while the vampires (namely Emmett) stood there gloatingly. They had beaten us a good 15-7.

Complementary following any sports match that I've ever played in, Jen and I grabbed the water cooler and dumped the contents on Emmett's head.

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**Elle:** _review please and let me know what you think! _


	5. Attack at the Beach

**Elle:** _sorry I haven't updated in so long but here's the next chapter. I was contemplating changing the title because I thought I had changed the plot slightly from my original intentions but then it ended up fitting the title better than the original so the title's staying the same :)_

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Chapter Five

The day was partly cloudy and humid but there was no rain. In Forks that meant it was an ideal beach day. Yamamoto hadn't sent any orders to my team and Byakuya wasn't around to give me an ultimatum and all of my beach volleyball buddies i.e. my team were dying to bury their feet in the sand and six pack each other.

I helped Marcus and Amy tie down our surf boards to the top of Marcus's black Chevy Tahoe. He was wearing a pair of black and green board shorts with a short sleeved rash guard. Jen came over lugging a giant cooler.

"Hey," she said popping the hatch and putting the cooler in the back. Marcus nodded and I waved.

"You got the ball?" Marcus asked. Jen rummaged around the back of the Tahoe for a moment before she pulled out the yellow and white paneled volleyball. She tossed it to me and I spun the ball between my hands before bouncing it on the pavement. I flipped it up to Jen and she passed it back and soon me Jen and Marcus were passing the ball between the three of us.

"Down," Jen said spiking the ball down at Marcus. It was then that more of the team had come over with various beach items and they were staring at us because of our lack of productivity. Toshiro cleared his throat loudly and Jen sheepishly put the ball back in the Tahoe.

"You guys ready yet?" Renji called. He and Shuhei were tying more surfboards to Amy's white SUV. With that said we packed into the two cars.

I road in Amy's SUV with Amy driving Shuhei shotgun, Jack and Rukia middle and Ichigo and I back. Marcus drove his SUV with Jen shotgun, Toshiro and Momo Middle and Jake and Renji back. Amy and Shuhei fought over the radio station on the entire drive there. Amy wanted to listen to contemporary pop while Shuhei wanted alternative rock. We voted and out ruled Amy three to one.

With the Ramones "Rockaway Beach" pounding through Amy's sound system we pulled into the beach parking lot. The place was packed tight and Marcus found a spot all the way on the other side of the parking lot. We unpacked our stuff (Jack having trouble untying Renji's knots and Rukia untying them with ease) we headed to the board walk. By then the sun had burned out whatever cloud cover was left and we savored this rare day of Forks sunshine.

We had barley managed to set up camp when Renji, Marcus, Shuhei and the twins darted off into the water with their surfboards. The waves were perfect and soon after setting up very little stuff Jen and I joined the boys.

I sat in the line up watching Jen, and then Jake take a wave before it was my turn. When the swell came I paddled on it and stood up on my board before it broke. As the green blue water turned foamy I cut back on the wave and rode the top back into shore. The next wave broke behind me delivering Jack and the two of us paddled back out.

Soon everyone was in the water. Toshiro was dragged in against his will but as soon as Jake dunked him under the white haired captain became hell bent on revenge and laughed as Renji and Shuhei flipped Jake's board over with him still on it. Ichigo tired surfing and wiped out causing all of us to laugh and earning me a flip off from my own boyfriend. On the next wave Rukia tired surfing on Jack's board and like always proved she was good at everything.

After a while in the water we came out laughing and in Marcus's case picked up and thrown back in by the twins. Laughing and panting we settled onto our towels to eat some of the food we had packed.

A little ways away there was a volleyball net set up. My eyes sparkled as I grabbed the ball and Jen and ran over. Sensing what we were doing the rest of the group ran over. Shuhei and Renji jumped on one side of the net while Jen and I took the other.

"Rally style to twenty one?" Jen called over to Renji and Shuhei. "Or royal court, you guys decide."

Renji looked at Shuhei. The latter nodded.

"Get your doubles together and we play," Shuhei called to the group.

"Serve or toss?" I asked.

"Serve and our side's the royal court" Renji answered. I looked at Jen.

"Jump it bitch," I muttered. I could sense her smirk behind me as she tossed the ball and did a spike approach behind it. With a dull thud she made contact and the ball flew over. Renji passed, Shuhei set and Renji spiked. I blocked.

"I win," I said with a cocky smirk as Renji and Shuhei left their side of the court. Jen and I took over and Jake and Jack stood where we had been. That was the objective of Royal Court. Each team played out one rally. If the team that was on the 'royal' side of the court they stayed if they lost they left and the other team took over.

Jen and I took the rally against Jake and Jack and Amy and Marcus stepped on. Jen and I kept taking rallies left and right. We had cycled through our group (Jake/Jack, Amy/Marcus, Toshiro/Momo, and Ichigo/Rukia) and were facing Renji and Shuhei again. Shuhei held up the ball signaling he was going top serve when Jen held up her hand.

"What's up Jen," Renji asked. I knew exactly what was wrong and Jen had stopped the game for a good reason.

"Do you feel that?" she asked. The lightness of the air was now heavy with reiatsu. It was different than that around us. It was heavier and darker. Jen cast me a sideways glance and I looked out over the ocean. A group of arrancars was advancing on us.

"What do we do?" Jack asked. He was already a soul reaper and his gigai was standing next to him. I looked at Shuhei and Marcus and they followed Jack's example. I counted quickly. Twelve men and three captains there were three arrancars. I could break us into three squads and us our power to take them down. We had Amy of division four in case of injury plus Jen who could take altitude and act as sniper.

"Risa," I was thinking to long and Marcus wanted a plan. By now our gigai, inhabited by mod souls were packing up or things and taking cover in the SUVs.

"Toshiro," I said. "Take Amy, Rukia and Marcus and take the arrancar to the left, Jake take, Jack Momo and Ichigo and take the right, I'll take center, Shuhei Renji and Bletchley are with me copy?"

"Copy," they said. I looked at Jen and nodded.

"Sierra one Sergeant Parker?" she asked.

"You wanna be Jules, Ed or Sam?" I asked with a slight smile.

"Jules," Jen said taking off to stake out in a tree or something with Bessie, her sniper rifle. Knowing Jen, she had spent many hours in the Department of Research and Development developing bullets made out of seki sekki rock and was on the verge of making bullets like that of a zanpaku-to. Plus she had dead aim.

Before we took off I gave each captain and Jen a headset so we could communicate.

"Bankai or no bankai," Jake said over the airwave. Toshiro wanted to know the same thing.

"Renji got stabbed last time we went at this alone," Jen said heatedly from wherever she was. "You boys need to shelve your pride and fight as a team."

I myself could not have said it any better. With final nods at Shuhei and Renji we headed toward the arrancar in the middle all three of our zanpaku-tos drawn.

"Well," the arrancar sneered. It was a male and wore its mask on the upper right part of his face. "Look what crawled out of the woodwork."

"Don't give me that shit," I said calmly. I could feel Renji pulsing to fight behind me and Shuhei's calm reserve.

He attacked first and I reacted instantly shoving my sword perpendicular to the opposing attack. It was a good idea to go three on one because no sooner had the attack been launched on me did Shuhei slip by with the counter attack and gave the arrancar a deep gash across its back. It screamed in fury and went to attack Shuhei.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji screamed releasing his shikai on our opponent. His sword elongated into fragments and slashed the arrancar again. Hit twice it was even more persistent and it rounded on me again.

"Drown, Kurosange!" I screamed releasing my shikai. Underneath my feet a wall of water rose up and drowned the arrancar. It looked like victory but I wasn't certain. Renji and Shuhei looked at me and I stole a glance at the others. Jake's squad was in deep shit and Toshiro's squad had successfully taken down their arrancar. Their battle was six on one.

"I wouldn't drop my guard if I were you," I spun around quickly to notice that our arrancar opponent hadn't been taken down by my shikai. It was annoyingly persistent.

"Sierra one in position," Jen said over the airwave sounding almost annoyed. "I've got the solution."

And then like a bullet it hit me no sooner had the word 'Scorpio' come out of my mouth did the arrancar take its final attack. It swung in its final moments before Jen's bullet made contact and caught me in the stomach. I saw it gash me but I was in too much shock to feel the pain. Shuhei took the final strike and Renji caught me as the arrancar turned to dust. Renji grabbed the headset.

"Man down! Risa's been hit! Man down!" but his voice wasn't the only one.

"Officer down!" Jake was screaming, "Both Kurosaki and Hitsugaya have been hit! I repeat both Kurosaki and Hitsugaya have been hit!"

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**Elle:** _so review please and let me know what you think_


	6. Jen's Guilt

**Elle**: _sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been so busy with stuff, here's the next chapter_

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Chapter Six

~Jen~ (This is what I'll do when I change POV, if it's not indicated at the beginning of the chapter it is Risa speaking)

Risa called Scorpio, and I took the shot. It wasn't fast enough; there was too much wind resistance. That thing hit her before I hit it. The captain was down because of my own incompetence.

Risa had granted me, the only sniper, the privilege of a headset. It was only so I could hear the order without everyone else knowing. I killed hollows on a daily basis so I was numb to it all. I usually went out with unseated officers and the injuries they obtained were usually their own damn fault. I became numb to it after a while.

Now it was totally different. A captain was down because of my lack of skill and there was nothing I could say.

Toshiro had taken down his arrancar and was helping Jake, he needed it. By the time Amy had come Kurosaki had done something reckless as usual earning him a pretty serious blow. I had confidence Amy would heal him. Amy was division four, the medical unit.

Even as I watched now, safe from the battle and the only danger was falling off the roof of the building I realized that Jake was in deeper shit than before. He was usually confident if not a tad cocky. But now, I watched as Toshiro took a hit and good down only to not get up. They were fighting over water and Hinamori went to catch him before he fell. I really had no idea why Hinamori was there in the first place…I'll talk about that later.

Renji was yelling over the airwave mere seconds after Risa went down. Hisagi had taken the final strike leaving no doubt about the arrancars status. He was dead and done for period, end of story.

Without any order I really could do anything but I took aim anyway. The arrancar Jake was fighting seemed to stand still to gloat giving me a solution. I loaded my rifle again with the seki sekki bullet and adjusted my angle. I took it upon myself to call Scorpio, give the solution and take the shot. No fear no guilt no regret…yet.

And with that the bullet hit its target and I just saved Jake's ass again.

"Thank you Bletchley," he said weakly over the airwave. I unhooked myself from the roof and met up with the team on the beach. Risa, Jake and Amy were the only fully qualified medics and with Risa out cold and Jake almost there Amy was the only one left and she had all of her attention focused on Ichigo, the worst of the three.

I knew basic first aid, I was a girl scout for several years and I earned my first aid badge. Hisagi and Renji were with Risa, she didn't look too good. Her face was pale and there were bandages wrapped firmly around her midsection. They were red as her blood fought through the wrappings.

Toshiro was just as bad, Rukia attended to him. She knew some basic medical kido and was able to keep him stabilized.

I blinked twice trying to clear my head when Amy tossed me her cell phone.

"Call Carlisle," she ordered. I dialed the number looking at Amy for further instructions. According to her I was to tell Carlisle that we had three injured teenagers who needed assistance and that Alice was to fabricate evidence of a car crash. Once that was over I snapped the phone shut.

By the time I had reached the parking lot Alice was already there fabricating a car crash. I didn't ask whose cars she used but it didn't matter. There was the whir of sirens and the ambulances arrived followed by Carlisle's black Mercedes. As the paramedics loaded Risa Ichigo and Toshiro into the ambulances Carlisle and Edward came over.

"What happened?" Edward asked me in a low voice. "I can read minds so just think about it."

At least that made it a lot easier to tell the story. Afterward I sat on the hood of Marcus's SUV, pondering whether or not I should call my cousin Jules. She lived in Canada, in Toronto actually. It was three o'clock here so it would be six o'clock over there. She didn't work a usual nine to five schedule but I hoped I could catch her at home or on break and not on a call. Now the fear, the guilt and the regret were kicking in. Damn my own emotions and being in Byakuya Kuchiki's division showing them wasn't exactly an option.

I sighed and dialed Jules's number.

"Callaghan," she picked up. Thank god.

"Jules," I was surprised at how weak my own voice sounded. "Are you at work? Can I, can I talk to you?"

"What's wrong Jen?" she asked slightly cautious. I usually had a habit of dragging her and her team halfway across the globe to bail my ass out of trouble.

"We just cleaned up a mission," I said.

"You shot someone didn't you?" Sniper's intuition, she could hear it all in my voice. She was only able to guess half of the situation but given enough time and a few hints she could figure out the rest.

"I wasn't fast enough," I said. Before I knew it tears were rolling down my cheeks. I slid off the hood of the SUV and sat down on the ground behind it so that the team couldn't see me. "It caught Risa before I could get it. I didn't have a spotter, there weren't enough people. There was too much wind resistance and I shot anyway. Jules, my best friend might die because of my own incompetence!"

I was crying now, thankful that I was hidden behind the SUV and that my teammates were so wrapped up with the others that they didn't notice.

"Jen," Jules said through the phone. "Listen to me; I need you to tell me how to get to England through the Soul Society again. I'm on a two week vacation I can spare some time to come help. I'll bring some of the guys if you want."

"Ok, I'll do that, let me call you back" I said. I dialed another number.

"What can you possibly want bother me with now Bletchley?" Byakuya's voice was harsh and I flinched back. Maybe texting him would have been a better option, but then he wouldn't have been obliged to answer, it was easier to ignore a text than an actual call. His stoic disposition pissed me off and I wanted to scream at him before I realized he had no idea what the hell was going on. I quickly explained what happened and asked if Jules could come to Forks through the Senkaimon. Byakuya actually agreed this time. I hung up and called Jules back.

"Did you managed to get it arranged?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

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**Elle:** _review please!_


	7. Risa's Choice

**Elle:** _here's part of the massive updating series I'm doing! hopefully i'll be able to get the ball moving a little bit faster :)_

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Chapter Seven

~Risa~

Everything was hazy, like I had just woken up from some strange dream. I felt like I had a strange dream. There were arrancars and Renji was yelling something and Jake said Toshiro and Ichigo were injured.

There was softness around me; I was lying in a bed. I wanted to think that it was my bed at the Cullen's house but the beeping noise somewhere to my left told me I wasn't. Then again, Carlisle was a doctor so maybe I was. Wait, didn't Jen's Itouch make a beeping noise? I could have sworn that Amy's phone gave a constant beep if that battery was low. That was it. The arrancar thing was a strange dream and I was sleeping in my room at the Cullen's house and everybody was fine.

But how did that explain the dull aching and throbbing pain in my stomach? I probably drank too much sake last night and I spent the time puking my guts out. That was it. I would wake up any second now and see Ichigo or Jake in my room with a glass of water and aspirin. What else could explain the sensation that someone was stroking my cheek gently? I let my eyes open.

I didn't know what the bigger shock was: waking up in the hospital or Sam Braddock sitting at my bedside stroking my cheek.

"What the hell?" I screamed sitting bolt upright. I wish I hadn't. At that moment the dull throbbing pain escalated into a sharp shooting pain and my head felt woozy.

"Risa lay down!" Sam said firmly pushing me back down. I fought him weakly. Had I been at one hundred percent fighting off an ex-military Canadian Strategic Response Unit Constable would have been a walk in the park.

"I see you're awake," Carlisle had walked in while I was having my little episode. I mustered up whatever strength I had left and gave Carlisle the best glare I could hope to achieve in this state.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked through gritted teeth. As a captain of the Gotei-13 a little bit of pain I could handle. Not knowing what was going on I couldn't.

"Ms. Bletchley filled me in on the entire attack," Carlisle said checking my IV bag. "You, Mr. Kurosaki and Mr. Hitsugaya have been injured enough to warrant hospital stays. But I should tell you that Mr. Emmerson and Ms. Kuchiki have sustained minor injuries that have already been treated."

"How bad are Ichigo and Toshiro?" I asked but the look in Sam's eyes told me everything. He held my hand between both of his and his face was grave. I saw Carlisle contemplating his answer.

"Toshiro's stable but he's in critical condition," Carlisle said. "Ichigo had already lost a lot of blood when he was brought in. There was extensive damage to his ribcage and some of his organs. We've managed to get him stabilized and he's in the ICU right now. Risa," he looked much older than the 23 year old body he lived in. "His chances are slim less than twenty-five percent."

The monitor was beeping erratically now and my breathing was shallow. The news hadn't sunk in yet but it still felt like someone just dropped a lead weight on my head. It was enough to make anyone's heart rate go out of control and I already felt like I had been hit by a truck.

"I'm sorry," Carlisle said. "There's nothing to do now but wait. I'll make sure to notify you if anything happens."

By now I was sobbing hard and uncontrollably. Sam sat on the edge of my bed and held me as I sobbed. He didn't say anything but I knew he was trying to be comforting.

The door opened again and this time Jake walked in. He had been banged up pretty well by the arrancar but he was still able to walk around. He took one look at Sam and I and comprehension dawned on his.

"She knows doesn't she?" Jake asked Sam in a hollow voice. Sam nodded. Jake sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Jake," I said weakly. Sam got off my bed and Jake took his place. I looked into my fellow captain's vivid green eyes.

"There was something on that bastard's blade," Jake said bitterly giving me the full story. Sam was on my other side now. I was going to need all the support I could get at the moment.

"It was a slow reacting poison," Jake continued. He shuddered, they story was hard for him to tell. "Kurosaki took the brunt end of it and Shiro took what was left. Reese," his voice cracked. "I would have stopped it but I couldn't I didn't have enough power, I couldn't release the bankai or anything. I couldn't do shit. Reese, I let Shiro and Kurosaki get the way they are. I couldn't do shit Reese, I-I-I couldn't do shit."

Jake was crying on my shoulder and I was crying into his hair. Sam got up and left the room to give us a few minutes and I was grateful.

The door opened one more time and Edward walked in looking just as sullen as ever. He was holding his breath so that the smell of my blood wouldn't temp him but I could see the pain in his face.

"Risa," he said solemnly. "Carlisle has asked me to make you an offer."

I stared at him blankly. Jake wiped his eyes and stared as well. Edward took a breath and continued.

"Kurosaki's chances are less than twenty-five percent Carlisle is willing to change him, make him immortal. But he asked me to ask you, his captain and girlfriend what you think."

"This is some sick way of getting me to sign a DNR isn't it?" I asked. Even Jake made a feeble attempt at a laugh. It turned into a sob quickly.

"I'm serious Arisa," Edward said. He pulled out the full name. As long as he didn't call me Arisa Kyoko Uchimani we're good. "Think on it. I'll know." And he left.

I turned to Jake. His face was stark white and he was thinking about it.

"What do you think?" I asked him. His eyes said his response before his mouth did.

"Are you fucking insane?" Ha said. "You are willing to turn Ichigo Kurosaki into a vampire? How hard did you hit your head?"

"It's just an option Jake," I said trying to defend myself.

"Yeah if you decide that then bear in mind that that's not what I would have chosen!"

"You would feel the same way if that were Jack or Izuru in that situation." I yelled back aggravating my stomach more.

"Don't change the subject!" Jake yelled.

"I'm not!" I screamed.

"Well then, I guess I should be leaving now!"

"I guess you should!" He got up off the bed and crossed the room taking care to slam the door behind him. "Please, let the door hit you on the way out!"


	8. Code Blue In The ICU

Sam carried me up to the ICU. Carlisle had told me to stay in bed and take it easy but I didn't care. Sam knew what position I was in and was more than willing to bend the rules to let me see Ichigo. When his teammate and then girlfriend Jules was shot a while ago he hadn't been able to see her right away because he was stuck at headquarters filling out paperwork because he had shot the guy that shot Jules.

He held me in his arms tight to his body and was oblivious to the stares from various hospital personnel. With my ability to detect reiatsu I was able to lead us away from wherever Carlisle was even if it did take longer.

I had developed a brother/sister like relationship with Sam last year in the week between the fiasco at the Ministry of Magic and my graduation from Hogwarts. Shuhei even claimed we looked like we could be related with our blonde hair and blue eyes.

Sam pushed the button to call the elevator and the doors slid open. It was empty inside and Sam stepped in and pushed the button for the ICU floor.

_Ding_, one floor

_Ding_, two floors

_Ding_, yet another floor

_Screech_, that's not good

"Sam," I said as the lights flickered out. "I think we're stuck"

Sam sighed heavily. "Yeah, we are."

He put me down on the floor and I wobbled slightly. I held onto the railing for balance. I would have been fine if the room wasn't spinning. Slowly and carefully I used the rail to guide myself onto the floor in a sitting position and stuck my head between my knees. Sam pulled out his blackberry, dialed a number, cursed, and shoved it back into his pocket. The elevator had no reception. With my head still between my knees I pointed to the elevators emergency phone. Sam picked it up.

"Hi," he said when the voice on the other line picked up. "We're kind of stuck in the elevator."

"…"

"There are two of us; we were heading up to the ICU floor"

"…"

"An hour? Ok, we'll wait then." Sam hung up the phone and sat on the floor next to me. I still had my head between my knees but the action was bothering my stomach. I didn't want to sit up and have the room start spinning again. The elevator's phone started ringing again. Sam got up to answer it.

"Hello?"

"…"

"Spike? Is that you?

"…"

"Great, where are you guys?"

"…"

"That's about three floors above us; tell me you had something to do with the elevator breaking down?"

"…"

"Is it just this one or all the elevators in the hospital stuck?"

"…"

"So they're down on power and everything important is working with generators?"

"…"

"Risa's with me, why?"

"…"

"Ok, see you in a bit, bye." Sam hung up again before he turned back to my lump on the floor.

"That was Spike," he explained. "He's one of my teammates and knows electronics. He can get us out of here. He also said that the hospital is down on power. Apparently a storm knocked out a line and they're trying to get it back up. The lady I spoke to earlier said we'd be here about an hour but Spike's trying to get us out now."

I understood everything he said but I couldn't bring myself to move. I heard Sam slide down the wall and sit down next to me. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him.

~*~*~*

Spike Scarlatti was a computer geek, no doubt about it. He was in the hospitals main power control room with Jules, his teammate and Jen's cousin, Jen and Rukia. Everything important at the hospital was being run on back up generators but the elevators were down until further notice. Rukia held a flashlight above Spike's head so he could see what he was doing.

He twisted different knobs and buttons trying to connect elevator one, the one Risa and Sam were stuck in to the generator. Once he figured that out he could drop them at the nearest floor and let them out. Once he did that, Spike would proceed along with the other elevators and let off the other passengers.

Spike connected two wires together and a small amber light lit up. He smirked up at the women behind him.

~*~*~*~

~Jake~

I sat outside the ICU watching Ichigo through the window. Even if I was fighting with Risa over Strawberry head's fate I wouldn't leave him alone. Usually Jen or Rukia stayed with him since Risa had been out cold for the last eighteen hours.

There was a distant rumbling somewhere under my feet and suddenly the entire floor was plunged into darkness.

Great, just bloody perfect. Without the other sounds to distract me the beeping of the EKG was my only company. The deadness didn't last long as doctors, nurses and the whole nine yards bustled in and out checking the rooms to make sure the back up generators were working.

"Emmerson," I looked up to see a bald man coming my way. Surprisingly it wasn't Ikkaku Madarame from my former division; it was Ed Lane, a sniper in the SRU. What the hell was he doing here?

"Constable Lane," damn my training; everything had to be uber formal. Ed didn't seem to mind it much. He sat down on the bench next to me.

"Rukia told me what happened," Ed explained. He motioned toward Ichigo. "How's he doing?"

"Not good," I said. It was automatic now but it still pained me to talk about. Every time I thought about Kurosaki I thought about the fight Risa and I got into. I knew I was right but it still felt like someone was twisting a knife in my side.

Ed looked sympathetic, I hoped. I wanted to tell Ed everything that was on my mind. From the battle to Carlisle's offer but I didn't know how much I could tell him. I pulled my legs up onto the bench and rested my head on my knees. Before I knew it tears were pouring out of my eyes and I didn't do anything to stop it.

I had been paired with Ichigo and Toshiro had come to help. Now Ichigo was dying in front of me and Toshiro was in a bed down the hall. I hadn't been strong enough to help them. It was as I told Risa, I couldn't do shit.

I had been so wrapped up in my own little world that I didn't notice Ed put his arm around my shoulders.

"Code blue, ICU room 369," a voice crackled over the PA system. I chanced a glance. Room 369 was right in front of me and hospital personnel were rushing into the small room. It took me a few minutes to comprehend what was going on even with Ed pulling me away.

There was a code blue in room 369? Ichigo was in room 369. Code blue usually meant someone flat lined. Wait was Ichigo flat lining? No, Kurosaki couldn't flat line he fought Kenpachi Zaraki and lived. He wasn't going to die because of some stupid arrancar.

I looked over at the monitor just visible from my spot; sure enough the bright green line wasn't moving.

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Elle: cliffhanger! But I put two chapters up at once! Let me know what you think so far please!


	9. Fear In Their Eyes

Chapter nine

~Risa~

The doors to the elevator slid open letting Sam and I off at the ICU floor. He had cell service again and according to Sam, Spike had gotten control of the electrical system and out of courtesy had dropped us off at the proper floor.

I could see Jake, but he wasn't alone. Ed Lane, Sam's teammate was with him and by the look of Ed's face and Jake's posture something wasn't right. Sam and Ed exchanged looks and I knew I wasn't getting any closer.

"What's going on?" I asked. Even to me my voice sounded far off and distant. Jake didn't say anything his eyes were puffy and there were tear tracks down his face. Jake was a totally different person. I forgot all about our fight and hugged the boy tightly. Without warning tears started pouring out of my eyes and onto his shoulder.

"He flat lined," Jake said weakly. I stood there in utter shock and didn't wince as Sam applied pressure to my shoulder.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Carlisle coming down the hallway. I didn't have time to react and he didn't reprimand me for disobeying him.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked and I knew full well what he meant. Edward had told me everything. I had thought about it. I had a feeling Ichigo would pull through and even had the vain hope that he'd be sitting at my bedside before I'd even get a chance to sneak up to his room.

"Do it," I said in my steadiest voice. Even then it was shaky. Jake glanced at me wide eyed but didn't say anything. With a sharp nod Carlisle entered the room and the others cleared out. He shut the doors and drew the blinds.

Suddenly a sick sensation passed over me and I couldn't stand straight. My legs gave out from under me and I fell forward. Sam and Ed reacted quickly and they caught me before I hit the ground. One of the nurses who was in the room with Ichigo had come over.

"What room was she in?" she asked Ed and Sam. I only heard it but it was detached. It was as if my konpaku had left my body and was wandering around on its own.

Sam carried my body back to the room and laid me on the bed pulling the covers up to my chin. He and Ed stayed with me but Jake had disappeared. I wished he stayed as well. Sam sat on the edge of my bed and stroked my cheek lightly.

The door creaked open. Sullen and ashy-faced Jen came in. Her hair was falling out of its ponytail and she looked utterly sleep deprived.

I heard movement and voices as if Jen and Ed were arguing about something and then someone else walked in and went up to my IV bag and shaved a syringe full of clear liquid into the tube. I was knocked out instantly.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Arisa," someone was calling my name softly. It was a female voice this time and once again I couldn't place it. I didn't feel like going through all the voices in my head this time. It was still buzzing slightly. I wanted nothing more than to let go of reality and slip deeper into unconsciousness.

"Reese," someone else called one of my many nicknames. I pushed it out of my head and tried to let go.

The more I tried the harder it became because now as reality was coming back to me I started to remember exactly what had happened. Flat line, do it, collapse, pass out, wake up, and remember everything. Wasn't I supposed to forget?

"Mmm," I whined. Had I been in top condition I would have rolled over and pulled the blanket over my head. Now I just let my eyes open.

Alice and Rukia were sitting at my bedside. I wanted to sit up but somewhere between my brain and my muscles the connection failed.

"Risa," Rukia said pushing the hair out of my forehead. The room was dark and I couldn't tell where I was. "How are you feeling?"

"Where's Ichigo?" I asked. Screw me, I was fine. I wasn't flat lining and then have orders given to turn me into a vampire. Alice and Rukia exchanged dark glances.

"They managed to bring him back and get him stabilized," Alice said quietly. "Jake talked to Carlisle and talked him out of changing him.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked sitting up now. The hazy stupor of the morphine had worn off and my annoyance replaced it. "You mean I collapsed for nothing?"

"Well when you say it like that," Rukia said defensively. "Look, Jake was only looking out for you. When you said yes you had just come off of morphine and probably weren't thinking straight. Jake just wanted to make sure there were other options before you did something you may regret. It was like calling Scorpio as the subject was putting the gun down."

I let myself slump back down Rukia had a point. I guess I should apologize to Jake when the chance arose. Rukia went back to stroking my forehead. Alice muttered something about the smell of blood getting to her and excused herself.

"He hasn't woken up yet," Rukia said gravely. "But Captain Hitsugaya has. Jack, Renji and Shuhei went back to the Soul Society to file reports and get information. Momo is staying with Toshiro. Jen's in one of the family sleeper rooms with Marcus. Amy is doing patrols around the rooms. Jake hasn't left Ichigo's side since yesterday afternoon."

"What about Sam Jules Ed and Spike?" I asked.

"They went back to their hotel, Greg gave them a short leave but they have to go back to Toronto on Friday," she said. I sighed not knowing what to feel anymore. It was tough and the morphine wasn't making it any better.

"He's Ichigo," Rukia said consolingly. "He'll be back on his feet in no time. Twenty that he visits you first."


	10. The Obvious Yet Overlooked Answer

Chapter ten

**Elle:** _Ayafangirl, this chapter is__** four**__ you_.

* * *

Rukia lost the bet.

The next day I was feeling better and she walked with me up to the ICU to see Ichigo. Toshiro had been moved into a regular care unit and since his room was on the way I stopped in to bother the white haired captain.

He was sitting up and Momo was fast asleep with her head resting comfortably on his chest. I didn't stay long. Just long enough to pop in and say hi.

I refused to wear a hospital gown and let my backside hang out for all to see. I had argued with Amy, who was working as Carlisle's assistant, this morning. First about seeing Ichigo then ten seconds later when I pulled on a pair of red flannel lumberjack plaid pajama bottoms and a black tank top. They were the most comfortable pants I owned and they said 'volleyball' on the left thigh. Amy left the room when I pulled on my pink socks with the bunnies on them. Rukia had given them to me as a get well present. They were the kind of socks that had the rubber traction thingies on them.

When I got up to the floor I saw Ed and Jake. Ed was dragging Jake by the collar and he looked worse for wear. No doubt Ed was bringing Jake back to the Cullen's house so he could shower and eat a proper meal. God knows he needed it. Jake and Ed had a father/son like relationship. So it was quite amusing to see them interact.

"Jules is with him now," Ed said pulling Jake away. I nodded. The SRU was a family and now they had swelled out to include us. It meant a lot to me that even as Ed was dragging Jake away, they never left Ichigo alone.

I walked inside slowly. Rukia said she'd stay outside but I asked her to come in with me. She was one of Ichigo's best friends and I wasn't about to leave her out.

How often had I ignored the 'he's gonna look different' speech? I couldn't remember but when I saw Ichigo for the first time my own heart nearly flat lined. Nearly every inch of him was covered in wires tubes and bandages. Jules got up out of her chair and with the help of Rukia guided me into it. Neither of them left. I needed them for support.

I wanted to say something to Ichigo, let him know that I was there but my voice got caught in my throat. I settled for brushing my fingertips against his hand. I reached up and brushed his hair off his forehead and kissed it gently. He didn't stir and was impossible to tell from the dead.

I couldn't help it now and I let the tears fall out of my eyes onto my lap. Rukia pulled up another chair and sat down next to me. Her violet eyes were swimming. I had never seen this kind of emotion out of Rukia before and next moment we were both crying. Jules came over and sat between us. Like an older sister she pulled both of us into her and put up with us as we used her shoulders and tissues.

Ichigo looked so breakable under all the wires and tubes and that was what pushed me at least to my breaking point. I had seen Ichigo do some stupid things and emerge nearly cut in half and pull through. But that was before I had started dating him. He hadn't been in the hospital that long though.

Why? I asked myself. If he had been nearly cut in half and came out a day later running away from Kenpachi Zaraki then why was he so lifeless now?

"Division four," I muttered to myself. That was the answer. I only had humans look at him; Carlisle had given me his option because he didn't know healing kido like Soul Reapers. In my own grief I had forgotten all about the fact that Soul Reapers in Division Four knew how to use their kido to heal people. Rukia sat up and looked at me as if my utterance had solved all our problems.

"Division four," she repeated.

"Division four?" Jules asked.

"Division four," I said almost jubilantly. "These are Soul Reaper injuries and we've had humans look at them."

I felt lightheaded again and sat down in my chair and let the feeling pass over me. I couldn't believe that I had been so dumb as to overlook the obvious. Rukia had pulled out her Soul pager and was typing into it wiping tears from her eyes. Jules sat there looking confused.

~*~*~*~*~

~Amy~

"My name is Hanataro Yamada," I peered over the top of the stack I was holding. Yamada wasn't part of the squad sent here so what the hell was he doing here?

"Yamada," I asked annoyed putting the stack down at the nurses' station. They gave me dirty looks which I ignored. "What the hell are you doing here?"

His tall eyes shifted a little. Yamada was always nervous around his superiors and I was no exception.

"Ms. Kuchiki asked me to take a look at one of her friends," Hanataro said as if he was revealing a big secret. I guess I gave him an annoyed look because he added quickly. "It was on Captain Uchimani's orders."

Now everything made sense. Risa had called Hanataro wanting a second opinion and quite frankly I was surprised she didn't do it sooner. Wait a minute, why the hell would she call Yamada? Surely in a situation like this she'd want nothing less than Retsu Unohana the captain of Division Four? Then again she was Risa and Risa never really complied with the rules. I reached over the stack and pulled a visitor's pass from the pile at the nurse's station along with a pen and scribbled the words "Hanataro Yamada 369" in the appropriate spaces. I unpeeled the sticker from the backing and stuck it to his forehead. He looked at me for a second and repositioned the sticker on his shirt.

"Go work your magic boy," I said waving him on in the right direction.


	11. Let's Fighting Love

Chapter eleven

~Jen~

Risa was fine and somewhat back to normal. If she was able to walk around and argue about it then she was fine. That was Risa. Physically she was fine but mentally she had me worried. Maybe not mentally as much as emotionally because if anything happened to Ichigo she'd be an emotional wreck for god knows how long.

At least she seemed fine enough to ask me to patrol the outer area since we had neglected to do that for the past three days. Not that it really mattered; there were plenty of unseated officers around to dispose of the hollows. They were strange because they actually liked killing hollows. Personally I found it bothersome and above all annoying. They always seem to emerge at the worst possible moments, like when I'm in the shower or when I'm doing um, _other_ things. Whatever they just popped out of nowhere and I usually argued with whoever I was with and usually made them go kill it. My favorite way of decided was drawing straws in the form of Renji's hair. It pissed him off but hell it was funny.

My soul pager started buzzing and I flipped it open, pardon my French but fuck hollows. There was one over somewhere yonder and since I was on duty I had to kill it. Lucky me, let me go do some back flips.

A basic rule of thumb was one soul reaper per 50,000 souls, here that meant there were about five of us in the entire state maybe. It meant more ground to cover. New York had about ten in an area as big as this one. Trust me because I had been on patrol in New York once and I kept rubbing elbows with the others. But since I was a London girl at heart it didn't bother me as much as the others.

There it was in all its ugliness, the hollow. Who decides what they looked like? This one was uglier than some of the others. It looked like a dinosaur-like thing, midsized…V6 engine…meaning I pull out my zanpaku-to kill this thing and be done. Maybe then I can go home.

Screw my sword; I wanted to use kido, I hadn't in a while. I did and it worked too easily. My philosophy was if it wasn't difficult you screwed up, big time. Damn myself for being right. This hollow was that thing from Greek mythology that when you kill it, it comes back to life twofold. Or was that something else? Whatever, when I killed it two came back and I didn't realize that every time you killed it it came back exponentially until there were about sixteen of them.

Time for my zanpaku-to, simple kido wasn't enough. I had a shikai and a something that resembles a bankai but hopefully my shikai would be enough. I drew my blade and it glimmered in the light.

"Now burn all in thy path," I commanded. I felt my blade grow hot. "Blazing dancer"

My sword split into two fans, each decorated with depictions of fire and the symbols for "fire" and "blaze" I twisted my hand backward and launched my one fan, like a Frisbee. It cut through two hollows and came back to me like a boomerang. This time they didn't multiply. I watched them closely and after a few seconds they did. I killed two and four appeared.

"Roar Zabimaru!" I felt a breeze behind me and barely jumped out of the way as Renji's zanpaku-to came whizzing past my ear. He struck three hollows and when I looked up he was standing on a rock looking smug. "Hey Bletchley, how's life?"

"You bleeding idiot!" I screamed. My accent was thoroughly English now; hanging out with a bunch of American's caused me to loose it but whenever I was angry it came back full force. "You kill one and they multiply!"

"How the hell was I supposed to know that?!" Renji yelled back at me. Brilliant battle strategy right here, we'll scream and yell at each other so that the hollows die of the vibrations. I swore I heard a window crack somewhere.

"Because you ask questions first and attack later dumbass?" I said. "Does Greg go calling Scorpio during every call? Really would it kill you to think a little?"

"So basically while you're in a panic and not doing anything you want me to wait and ask what's going on. Why don't I just kill you myself and save us both the trouble?" he snapped

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up and let me deal with this?" I snapped back at him.

"Scatter, Senbon Zakura," instantly Renji and I stopped fighting to watch as a shower of pink petals engulfed the hollows and destroy them all. I waited knowing that in a few moments there would be twice as many. After ten seconds nothing happened and I looked up at Captain Kuchiki who was standing on a rock above me. Now I was confused.

"What the hell?" I asked. "Why aren't they coming back there should be at least fifty of them by now!"

"Did you kill the original?" Byakuya asked as if it was the obvious thing to do. Renji and I both looked stupefied.

"No," I said blankly. Screw Byakuya, he always had to save my ass and then point out something really obvious. Sometimes I want to give him a Remmington, put him on a building give him an unstable target that's less that a square foot and ask him to hit it cleanly from at least a hundred feet away taking in all the factors like wind resistance and civilians. I doubt he'd be able to do it and it gave me a smug satisfaction.

"Let's return to the hospital then," Renji said quietly hoping that we could get away after being shown up by the captain. I agreed and we left. Byakuya followed us back to the hospital.

The whole time Renji was staring at me. Not staring staring per se but he kept shooting me these side glances up until we reached the main lobby. Byakuya went to find out the room numbers of his fellow captains and left Renji and I alone in the lobby. Then to cap it all off he just left to visit Toshiro and Risa and Renji and I just stood there in a tense, not to mention awkward silence.

"I don't know what your complex is," I said. I wasn't even aware I was saying it; it was like my mouth was on autopilot. Like the valve that kept the unpleasant thoughts safe inside my brain had been opened. "Seriously, I don't need you or the captain to come busting in and saving my ass if I'm in a little bit of a scuffle. I'm eighteen, I'm a sniper I can handle myself."

"You didn't seem to be handling yourself very well back there," Renji snapped at me. I turned and faced him. We were still konpaku who hadn't returned to our gigai yet so the argument wouldn't draw too much attention.

"I don't need you to come saving me Abarai," I said. "Really, just leave me alo—"

He cut me off as his lips came crashing into mine. I guess in part that explained his hero complex.

His lips moved effortlessly against mine and I felt him lick my bottom lip begging for entrance but my brain was in the middle of a ravaging civil war. I had a boyfriend, I was with Marcus. Renji shouldn't be doing this; I was in his freaking division.

_Open your mouth Jennifer, _the red side said taunting. _You know you like him and when has Marcus kissed you in the last few days?_

**Don't do it Bletchley!** The white said snapped. **What if Marcus comes in and sees this? How will you explain it? He'll kill Renji for this and be pissed at you!**

I wanted to push him off me. To throw Renji hard into the ground and continue my rant, which was so much more justified now. Just as I slid my hands up to his shoulders (a man's center of gravity is located in their shoulders, like an SUV they're top heavy and one good shove would send him over) to push him off when I heard it. The voice that made my heart stop and made everything I knew came crashing down around me.

"Bletchley?"

It was Marcus. He had seen everything and before I could open my mouth to explain he push past me and Renji and left out the automatic doors. I pushed the hair out of my face and tried so hard to think of an explanation but none came to me. I slid down the wall and rested my head on my knees. Words failed me for the first time.


	12. Rest and Recovery

Chapter Twelve

Elle: so sorry for taking like forever to update especically after what i did to Jen Renji and Marcus in the last chapter. Haha, my brain surprises me with ideas sometimes

~Risa~

I stayed with Ichigo whenever I could steal the chance. Though I was grateful to Sam, Jules, Ed, Spike, Rukia, Jen and Jake for making sure someone was always with him I still wanted to be by his side. Carlisle said that Ichigo's injuries were still serious and that the chance of survival was still low but I didn't want to believe him. Until someone from division four had a look at him I wasn't going to consider my other option. If Captain Unohana said that he had slim chances then I would reconsider. But division four had advanced medical knowledge and they had saved Ichigo before.

Today Rukia was with me. She wanted to be there with Ichigo if anything happened. I was most grateful to Rukia because she always told me what was going on and she never sugar coated it.

I brushed my fingers lightly against Ichigo's forehead. His face was so pale and underneath all the wires and tubes he looked incredibly breakable. I just wanted him to wake up or even give me some sign that he was alive. I could barley see him breathing underneath the blanket and his still and paleness put him next to death. If it wasn't for the steady beeping of the monitors he could have been and just the other day for three minutes and twenty one seconds he was.

It took Rukia squeezing my shoulder gently to deter me from my thoughts long enough to realize that Hanataro Yamada of division four was outside the door, knocking gently asking to come in. I got up and crossed the room to open the door. He bowed deeply before he walked in.

"Captain Uchimani," he greeted me formally usually I would have told him to call me Risa like I told everybody but I didn't bother. He walked over to Ichigo and took one look at him. I read the emotions running through his face. Ichigo was strong, stubborn and a little crazy but he bounced back quickly. Hanataro had seen it first hand when Ichigo invaded the Soul Society.

Hanataro pulled his bag off his shoulder and placed it on the bedside. He unzipped it and began to pull out all of his supplies.

"It's not as bad as when he fought Renji back in the Soul Society," he told me and Rukia. "But it's still pretty bad. I can heal him but it's going to take a while a few hours at the least."

"I'm staying," I said forcefully. "Unless you tell me that my being here is going to disrupt your work I'm staying."

I was a captain and he couldn't exactly say no so I pulled my chair to the corner of the room and sat down. Rukia stayed as well she wanted to know what happened to Ichigo as much as I did.

I looked up and Jen was tapping on the window. Casting a glance at Hanataro who was working on healing Ichigo I got up and went outside I beckoned for Rukia to follow. Outside Jen seemed slightly agitated.

"What's wrong Bletch?" I asked. I had asked her to go on recon a while ago. How soon she was back and her facial expression didn't exactly spell out good news. There were tear tracks running down her face and she looked ghastly pale.

"Can I talk to you in your room please," her voice was hollow, scared almost. This scared me even. Rukia looked worried and concerned. I glanced into the other room. I could leave Ichigo in Hanataro's care for a while. Jen needed so much more right now.

"Yeah," I said. "Let's go."

"So what happened exactly?" Rukia asked. She, Jen and I were all sitting on the cushiony hospital bed back in my room. Jules was there was well, sitting in the edge of the bed listening intently. Jen was on the verge of tears which was something I had only seen from her once. She had choked through the exponentially multiplying hollows story without much of an issue. It was only when she recounted the events that happened afterward did she start to loose her grip.

"So then," Jen said a bit dramatically picking up another tissue. "He grabs me, and then starts kissing me. I tired to fight him off but just as I was about to Marcus comes down, sees everything and leaves." She blew her nose again. "I swear the men I know are going to turn me into a freaking lesbian!"

"I wouldn't go that drastic," Jules said trying calm Jen. Rukia and I glanced at each other. Though Jen and Jules were cousins, Rukia and I had known her longer but neither of us said anything.

"So what am I gonna do," Jen said. Her voice was starting to return to normal now, a sign that relived and scared me.

"You need to go to the range," Jules explained calmly. "And you need to go shoot something. You need to go do something productive."

"I have a softball mitt in my car," Jen said.

"I'll drive you home," Rukia offered. "Byakuya left me the keys to the Mercedes SUV. We'll go to the clearing and play catch or something."

Jen nodded. I sat there grumpily I was still supposed to be on bed rest and had yet to experience what Spike called "extreme bed rest" but I pursed my lips and watch them leave.

"Don't worry about me guys," I called jokingly after Rukia's back. "I'll just sit here alone, by myself while you guys have fun."

"Arisa?" Hanataro had come in and was standing his ground as if I were going to attack the boy from my bed. "Ichigo's awake if you want to go see him. I healed most of the major wounds and he should be alright in a few days"

Hanataro wanted to make a quiet exit but after what he had done I couldn't possibly let him go without a giant hug. I hugged him and his face was priceless. I pecked him on the cheek and left for Ichigo's room as Hanataro stood there with his face going bright red.

"What happened to you?" Ichigo asked the second I walked in. The bandages were visible underneath my tank top.

"What about me?" I asked in mock offense. I studied him for a moment. Hanataro knew what he was doing. Ichigo was sitting up and off all the monitors. He looked much stronger like the Ichigo who could be run over by a Mack Truck and still stand up with enough energy to flip the driver off. "I go though hell worrying about you call in half of the Canadian SRU that bailed us out last month and the only thing you can say is 'what happened to you?'?"

"Risa, I've been out of it for three days," Ichigo fired back; he could tell I was playing with him though because he was smirking. I smirked back and crossed my arms teasing him. He flipped me off I stuck my tongue out. He picked a piece of paper from his bedside table, crumpled it into a ball and threw it at me. I ducked and it hit the wall.

"Do I get to kiss you now?" he asked seriously. I cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to jump up and down and chant 'miss me miss me now you gotta kiss me' like Risa would do."

"Are you sure you can handle me in your state? I mean I've been off the morphine for a few days now and you just got off it. I wouldn't want to wear you out too much" I was full on teasing now. I left my post from the doorway, gliding over with a model like strut and sat on the edge of his bed. I was so tempted to straddle him but I thought better and pulled myself in as close as I could get. I pressed my forehead against his neck and kissed his shoulder blade. "Glad you're back strawberry."

"Hey Risa," Spike had just barged in just like good old Spike. He saw that Ichigo was awake and his facial expression between making fun of me and total embarrassment was quite amusing. "I'll just be going now, glad you're ok Ichigo."

I leaned in again to kiss Ichigo full on when the door banged open again and Jake came in. From his face I could tell that he wasn't going to start ragging on me.

"A page just came in from Bletchley's pager," he said darkly. "She and Rukia are being held hostage by Aizen's cohorts and a vampire."

Elle: I'm getting good at this cliffhanger thing no?


	13. I'm the Crazy One?

Chapter Thirteen

~Risa~

"You aren't seriously thinking of going after them are you?" Shuhei wasn't the first person to ask this question but he was the only one who was obliged to follow my orders, no matter how crazy they were.

Currently I was tying blankets together was going to use them to repel down the side of the hospital. The trick was to do it when Amy and Carlisle were on the other side of the building. I purposely had them sent over there so I could pull this off.

"If you waited a few hours you'd be discharged," Marcus said. Like Shuhei he was in my company and obliged to follow my orders. He leaned against the wall with an unreadable expression but I knew what he was thinking. "Seriously why _don't _we wait?"

"We don't have that long," I said angrily pulling on my sneakers. I wanted a pair of combat boots but they were still at the Cullen's house. I cast an angry look at Marcus. "I know why you're so pissed off but could you act a little bit more mature? I'm you're captain I'm giving you an order if you don't like it hand in your resignation form and transfer. I don't have time for this bullshit now get your ass down there and meet me by the window!"

Shuhei's face was stoic as he left the room. Marcus cast me a glare before leaving. Since they weren't hospitalized they could leave and because I was I had to sneak out but I was a Hogwarts student. Seven years of magical education hadn't been wasted on me, I mastered the art of sneaking out of the Gryffindor Tower to hang with the Slytherins in my third year, that was five years to hone this skill and it paid off when entering the SRU.

I made sure all of my knots were tight before I moved to the open window. I looked down, Shuhei and Marcus weren't in position yet. I threw the blanket chain out the window and let it dangle into the night from the third floor. I tied it to the wardrobe, the only thing sturdy enough since the bed was on wheels. I had one foot out the window and was about to climb over when

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" I was straddling the window frame and I looked up expecting to see Amy glowering in the doorway but it wasn't by a long shot. Jules was standing there, arms crossed and glowering. I shrunk back and pulled the blanket chain back into the window.

"Hey Jules," I said sheepishly. My plan was screwed now if Jules was here I had no chance of getting out. Unless I asked her to borrow some rappelling gear but she'd never let me borrow it while I was still here.

"I heard about what happened to Jen and Rukia," Jules said seriously. "I get that you want to help them but if you're not at one hundred percent then there isn't much you can do."

She had a point, I couldn't argue. But Jen and Rukia were on my squad, they were my teammates and above all they were two of my best friends. It was my fault they were captured. I needed to make Jules understand that. Why I needed to be a part of this mission.

Just then Spike and Sam walked in with a wheelchair. Spike held his finger to his lips signaling me to be quiet and Sam started packing up all of my stuff.

"We're busting you out of here," Spike said gesturing me to get in the wheelchair. "Go along with us."

I complied with Spike as Sam and Jules went ahead with my stuff. Spike started to wheel me down the hall. Knowing Spike, I figured he'd turn a sharp corner and then start running but he didn't. He did however hum the James Bond Theme as he snuck up and down the corridors.

Spike wheeled me to the front of the hospital where there were three black Suburban SUVs waiting in a line. Spike was smirking. The last SUV in line had its back hatch open and I could see the silhouette of someone loading the back with equipment.

Still signaling for me to be quiet Spike wheeled me over to the last SUV in line. Hidden behind the massive vehicle I got out of the wheelchair. Spike opened the door where there was a set of SRU gear waiting for me. Alice came around the back also wearing SRU gear. Upon further inspection that's what everyone was wearing except for Shuhei Renji and Marcus.

I pulled on the riot gear easily and slipped into the driver's side of the last SUV. Up ahead I saw Jules Sam and Spike get into the second and Emmett, Edward and Alice get into the first. Shuhei and Marcus were in front of the first and they would lead ahead with their ability to track Jen and Rukia's reiatsu. I only hoped we could get there in time.

I turned the key in the ignition and felt the SUV whir to life around me. With a click and a slam, the passenger doors opened and Jake and Jack got in both in riot gear.

"You really think we'd let you go in alone?" Jake asked when I shot him a look. In the rear view mirror there was a flash of headlights and the illuminated the black car behind me, like ours it was an SUV but it was smaller and a different model. It wasn't a Chevy Suburban, it was a Mercedes Benz SUV and in the driver's seat was Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji was with him. Jake looked at me.

"Only Kurosaki has to stay behind," he explained. "He's pissed naturally but I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up."

I put the car in gear and followed the two SUVs ahead of me with the lights blaring. I flicked the switches on the dashboard and lit mine up as well.

~Jen~

"Well this sucks," I said aloud. Rukia stifled a laugh next to me. One minute I was pitching fastballs at sixty-five miles per hour and then some crazy vampire chick comes out of nowhere and attacks us. She dragged us back to her lair where we found out that Aizen is behind it all. Evil asshole he is. Now I had less then five minutes to plan the most elaborate escape plan the world has ever seen using only a few bullet casings and a zanpaku-to. Not very effective since I didn't have the actual rifle and they weren't my special creation bullets either. I could hold the vampire back a few feet but that was about it. If Aizen came out of the shadows it was sayonara in less than five seconds.

The vampire chick that Aizen had enslaved was a total bitch and we collided like a train hitting a brick wall at full force. If I had a way to make fire I could dispose of her but then Aizen would have his man-slave Gin Ichimaru dispose of me and that's not a good thing.

The real estate deal was something else. Aizen was totally going for the Medieval Torture Chamber look these days. Not that much different from the Slytherin dorms if you ask me but it still creeped me out.

"Aizen is going to have much fun with you lovely ladies," the vampire bitch said. I couldn't see her properly in the dim light but her voice made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I shuddered.

"You're not going to get away with this!" Rukia yelled, her voice was somewhere to my left but like I said I couldn't see worth crap.

"How are these lovely ladies doing Naomi?" Gin Ichimaru, Aizen's man slave had come into the room. His voice rattled my bones and it was in that moment that I knew exactly how screwed we were. On the other hand I knew what the bitch's name was so that I might be able to use to my advantage.

"This one here," said Naomi too close for comfort, "is of Byakuya Kuchiki's division. Brash but she'll serve Lord Aizen well"

"I can see that," Ichimaru's voice was right in my face and his hand was stroking my cheek. My hands were tied behind my back and that was the only restraint I could feel. Putting to the test 16 years of competitive dance and 12 years of softball, I balanced myself on one foot and placed a well-aimed kick into Ichimaru's manhood.

There was a yelp, a thud and a squeal and I knew I had done my job.

Someone was banging on the doors and there was the sound of breaking glass. I didn't know what the hell was going on until I heard a familiar voice calling.

"This is the Police Strategic Response Unit; hands were I can see them!"

Suddenly, someone had grabbed me around my midsection and was dragging me away. Judging by Rukia's yelling and the sound of punching she was being dragged away as well. Suddenly I was thrown into a tight space and a car engine revved taking off and throwing me against the back. I pushed my face against a wall and took off the blindfold that had obstructed my vision. I was in the back, back seat of an SUV and there was a divider between the seats. Around me was heavy artillery and I figured I was in one of the SRU SUVs. Rukia was next to me, unconscious and there was a gash across her cheek. Quickly I pulled the blindfold off of her eyes and used it to cover the gash.

I figured it wasn't anyone on our side that had thrown me haphazardly into the back of a Suburban but I couldn't get a clear view of the driver. We were tearing down a narrow curving road and I could feel the SUV leaning far over each time feeling like we would tip over. I still had my blackberry on me, which was surprising. I knew that if I could send a txt message to someone then we could get help but without much service that wasn't likely. Still I hit new message and choose email. It was longer and would get my message across better.

_I'm sorry, _I typed. _I'm sorry that you saw what happened. It was an accident and there's no time to explain it now. Rukia and I are in an SUV being driven to most likely our deaths and I am truly sorry. If you could do me one huge favor and a bunch of little ones, I would be most grateful. First, don't beat the shit out of Renji. After you do that tell Byakuya and Renji that as much as we clashed, they were the best superiors I ever had and that I was always proud to be part of division six. Tell Jules that I love her and I wish she was my sister and tell Spike, Sam and Ed I love them too. Tell the twins how awesome they are and that they should keep being themselves and not letting anyone tell them otherwise. Tell Amy and Shuhei they can have as much sex in my car as they want. Tell the Cullen's that baseball was the best and that I love them all. And finally tell Risa that she's the best friend I have ever had and that no matter how crazy she can get I'll still be sierra one and I'll still help her. Tell Ukitake, Ichigo and all of Rukia's friends what happened. She's unconscious so I don't know what she'd want to tell you guys. Lastly, I want to say I'm truly sorry of what your last memory of me was. Please forget about that and remember the good times, during the quidditch season and volleyball and everything else we did together. I love you both you and Renji equally. Both of you and as much as it seems like I hate you at times I truly love you both. And tell Jack that Rukia really loved him as much as I love you guys. I love you all, don't ever forget that._

And I hit the send button with tears in my eyes.


	14. Running Out of Time

Chapter Fourteen

~Risa~

It was twilight and I was driving the SUV at full force last in line and with Jake and Jack. I couldn't bring myself to care because at least I was on the squad. Emmett suddenly made a sharp turned and I followed forgetting to set my blinker on. A lair was starting to come into sharper focus and we swerved out around it. Jake jumped out of the car as soon as I put it into park and was in the back unpacking all of the sniper gear. I felt a sudden pang because usually Jen would be unloading the sniper gear. Jake ran over and started talking to Ed and Marcus and Shuhei were behind me. I motioned toward the back of the SUV and they started pulling stuff out.

"That's nasty," Emmett said. He was covering his nose and pointing at the thicket. I sniffed as did everyone else around us. To me it smelled pretty normal but I couldn't be sure. The Vampires had a very keen sense of smell and I took Emmett's word for it because Edward and Alice had the same reaction.

There was a crunching of leaves, and at once everyone turned around. Whether it was an animal or another person we didn't know and every single person had drawn a weapon and calls of "Police don't move, I said don't move," became mingled with "Division Nine, show yourself," "Division three, come out into the open," and "Division Six stay where you are!"

Slowly with his hands over his head Jasper Hale moved into the open clearing were Spike was blaring a searchlight in his face. The light caught off of Jasper's skin and it was glittering with the force of a million tiny diamonds. Jasper walked over to Alice and everyone put their weapons down. I felt at ease even though my two best friends were being held hostage by Aizen and a vampire.

"Damn it Jasper!" I yelled remembering that Jasper could control people's moods and that it was most certainly his doing now. "False alarm"

Renji were already in Soul Reaper form and standing next to me as I grabbed more gear out of the Suburban. Jake already had a Remmington 700 fully loaded. His expression was deadly serious and his eyes were scanning the nearby trees determining which was the sturdiest and where the best vantage point was.

"We'll go first," Emmett said. He was holding a battering ram even though he could break down the entrance with ease. Personally I thought he was only using it for fun. Jasper who somehow managed to squeeze into riot gear was holding the other side of the ram. They counted to three and slammed the battering ram into the entrance. The door splintered and they ran inside followed closely by Edward and Alice. Behind the vampire cover were Shuhei, Marcus, Renji and Byakuya, the Soul Reapers. Behind them were Sam, Ed, Jules Jake, and I. Bringing up the rear was Spike, and Jack.

We ran along a corridor until there was a door blocking our room. There were voices coming from the other side and we could hear them. A female voice was yelling at another female voice as another male voice laughed.

Up top, Emmett and Jasper knew who the voices belonged to. They gave the signal to the back and we knew as well. With another thrust they slammed the door open and we charged all screaming the same thing. "Police SRU, hands where I can see them"

Byakuya began to fight with Ichimaru almost immediately. Their blades clashed furiously sending sparks flying. Edward and Alice were fighting the female vampire while Jasper and Emmett began to build a pyre. I pulled a knife from my pocket and started off toward Jen with the intent to undo her bindings but as I got closer a figure came out of nowhere and swept Rukia and Jen away. I watched it for a second before pocketing the knife and pulling out a glock. I ran after the figure but I couldn't get a clear shot because Rukia and Jen were in the way. Rukia was yelling and trying to get away. I was yelling back trying to let them know I was here. The armor was slowing me down so I popped a gikongan into my mouth and let the heavily laden body hit the floor. As a konpaku I had a wider range of movement.

"Get the fuck off me!" I heard Rukia yell. There was thump. The kidnapper had knocked her out with the side of his hand. I saw Jen's silhouette try to attack but to no avail.

A door burst open out into the clearing where the SUVs were parked. The kidnapper popped the hatch of one and threw Rukia and Jen inside it. He hotwired it in less than ten seconds and drove off. I leapt into the air and ran atop the current trying to keep the SUV in my line of sight. I had to run above the trees to keep up with the car but it didn't come without a disadvantage. My sight was limited greatly and my weakened condition slowed me down. Within a matter of seconds Shuhei and Marcus had caught up with and past me. I was gasping for air now without realizing it I had ran over a mile at full sprint.

Jake was next to me now and me guided my back down to earth without jerking me down. Underneath in the brush was the other SUV.

"Marcus and Shuhei will tail them," Jake said. "We'll run ahead and cut them off, there was another vampire in the waiting and that's who took them."

"Copy that," I breathed as my blackberry started to buzz. I pulled it out to read the message Sam had sent me.

_Head west and cut them off at the clearing_

I pulled my hair back into a tighter ponytail as Jake slammed on the accelerator and the SUV shot forward. I gripped the handle tightly as he swerved in and out of the trees. Up ahead I saw more lights and realized that they were stopped. People were everywhere so Jake pulled up. Sam came out of nowhere, directed Jake to an area and told him to leave the high beams on. He did what he was told and we stepped out of the vehicle.

It was like a warzone around us. A few yards ahead there was a fire blazing and the outlines of Emmett, Jasper and Alice could be made out. Somewhere by a tree Edward was talking quickly on a cell phone holding his nose. I could see why; Jules and Byakuya was holding Jen up and holding her hand over a cut on her leg and a little ways further Marcus and Jack were bent over Rukia, who was lying on the ground. I opened my mouth to ask Sam what the hell was going on when he pointed to the SUV that I had begun to chase. It was crumpled from top to bottom, making it look like an accordion. I stared at it with an open mouth wondering how the hell Jen and Rukia were still alive if that thing toppled over with them in it. God damn, those two were fucking lucky.

Jake shot me a look and ran over toward Rukia. Both he and I were trained in emergency battlefield medicine. It was a shame Amy wasn't here, out of the three of us she was the best and with her here things would be a lot smoother. I ran over to Jules and Jen who was worse upon further inspection.

"Femur's broken," Jules explained as I came closer. She had splinted the injury with two tree branches and the thick cables from her rappelling gear. "And I'm suspecting further injury to her spine and ribcage but Edward just called in the paramedics. They're gonna be a while though trudging through all of this."

I looked at Jen with only one thing running through my mind. With what Jules had done there wasn't much else I could do until the paramedics arrived.

"Bletchley," I muttered more to myself than anyone around me. "What the fuck did you do?"


	15. If You Wanna Get Out Alive

Chapter Fifteen

~Jen~

The tears didn't last long. I had long since trained myself to get over it as quickly as possible. My message was sent, now it was only a matter of whether the dying signal had enough power to let my message get to its mark. One could hope even if it didn't it still made me feel better.

I jammed the blackberry into my jeans pocket. I didn't really have time to change and while I really would have wanted to be in either my cool pants or my shihakusho this would have to do. My sniper's adrenaline rush was kicking in as the hotwired SUV tore through the woods. I had no idea who the driver was or even if he was human. He could've been a vampire for all I knew.

If he was a vampire, he was in destructible and therefore I needed to make the SUV explode to kill him. But most likely it would end up killing Rukia and I as well. If there was a way to survive this I'd find it and drag it over. I'm eighteen and I'm not done yet.

We were swerving through the trees at insane speeds and every time we went around one the car would lean over. Sometimes it felt as if the SUV was going to tip and start rolling and that's where the insane idea came from. It was the only logical thing I could think of, bound and gagged in the back of a Suburban. The only trouble would be ditching it with Rukia and both of us staying uninjured.

I shifted myself and cut the ropes around my hands with a utility knife that had fallen out in the back. With my hands free I picked it up and freed Rukia who was still out cold. It was better she stayed like that, she'd go with the flow and minimize her chance of injury, maybe even make it out alive. I searched the back and found a glock, a small side arm. I preferred a Remmington 700 sniper rifle but this was better for the circumstance.

I kicked out the dividing panel into the backseat and pulled Rukia's body over and strapped her in as best I could. I pointed the gun at the driver.

"This is the Police, Strategic Response Unit," I said calmly fighting the adrenaline rush that was taking over. If I freaked out now I was more than dead. "Stop the car and put it in park."

"Sweetie," the driver said mockingly. "That ain't gonna do shit on me"

It was then I saw it. In the rearview mirror reflected by the glare of the headlights, the driver's blood red eyes; he was a vampire. My insides turned to ice as I jumped in the front seat. The driver looked at me and laughed quietly.

"Never seen anyone so eager to die before," he said lustfully. "There's usually the 'help me' and the 'spare me'"

"You're not getting that with me," I said firmly. I still had the glock pointed at the vampire driver. I knew he couldn't be hurt by the bullets but maybe the sound would be enough to distract him. I rolled down the window and pointed the gun at the front tire. My hand was shaking as I cocked the weapon back.

"What the hell are you doing?" the vampire driver screamed but it was too late. I made myself devoid of emotion as I pulled the trigger and blew out the tire. At once the SUV started to skid. With the vampire distracted I unlocked the doors and kicked him hard in the shoulders using his momentum to knock him backward. With enough force the door opened and he fell out. I didn't look back and I scrambled to the driver's seat slamming the door shut and locking the doors.

I forgot that I had blown out the tires and that an SUV doesn't handle like an Audi. I floored it and started doing the _Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift_ around the trees. I swerved to avoid hitting one and the feeling like we were going to tip over was real. We were tipping over. Once on our side and then again on top and then we rolled over and landed on our other side.

"Fuck," I snarled. There was a sharp pain in my left thigh and I knew that my femur was broken. I glanced over into the backseat and Rukia was still there strapped in the five seatbelts I had put her in. From this angle and in this light I couldn't tell if she was alive. If she was killed and I wasn't I would probably kill myself later on.

Then I did something that surprised me even, I gripped my hands together and I prayed. I said seven of the Lord's Prayers and at least ten Hail Mary's before begging to be saved.

Suddenly there was a pounding on the side of the car. There were sirens going off everywhere and the pounding intensified.

"Is anyone in there?" someone was calling. Using whatever strength I had I banged on the window. In the light refracted from the headlights I saw Sam run over with a roll if duct tape. I was confused. If they wanted to get me out then why were they using duct tape?

Sam pulled off two long strips and made an X on the window. Then he punched the glass so that it cracked and used the duct tape handle to pull it away from the car. Ed leaned in the window of the overturned vehicle. I was crying now without realizing it and Ed being the father that he is brushed the hair out of my face.

"Jen, it's gonna be alright," he said soothingly. "Hang in there, we've got help coming."

In the distance I could see Emmett and Jasper fighting with the vampire driver and then Edward lit a pyre and they shoved him back into it. I remember Rukia was still in the back seat, alive or dead I didn't know but still.

"Rukia's in the back," I yelled causing more pain to myself. I was still crying and Ed was stroking my face trying to keep me calm. Sam went around the other side of the vehicle. I didn't know what he was doing but then three seconds later he yelled out "I've got a pulse!"

"Bletchley," Byakuya had come over and knelt next to Ed. Even in the dim light he was showing something. An emotion maybe, wait was he worried about me? "Bletchley, I'm right here, stay with me"

"Captain," I sobbed. I didn't have the energy to make myself sound even slightly dignified. Byakuya surprisingly didn't care. He reached his hand into the SUV and I weakly lifted mine to grab it. He held it gently all while whispering things trying to keep me calm. Renji and Shuhei had come over as well and were trying to get the top off the SUV so they could get me and Rukia out. With a crack the were able to do it which surprised me because I had seen the fire department cut people out of cars and it wasn't pretty. I guess something had to be said about being a soul reaper.

"We got anything we can use as a backboard?" it was Marcus's voice.

"I got you," Byakuya said calmly holding my neck in place as I felt Sam and Ed lift me onto a flat and stiff board. They put it on the ground and Jules quickly came over. She knelt down next to me and started to splint my broken leg. The pain was so intense I couldn't stand it and tears were streaming from my eyes.

Over the way they had done the same thing with Rukia. Jack was bent over her much like Byakuya was bent over me. I wondered vaguely why Byakuya was staying with me as opposed to Rukia but I didn't care. And he didn't seem to care that my grip on his hand was so tight.

"Bletchley," I heard Risa's voice somewhere above me. "What the fuck did you do?"

"Reese," I managed to say weakly. A thousand and one snappy comebacks ran through my mind but after what Risa probably went through to find me I kept my mouth shut. That and the proper paramedics had arrived and they were busy doing me up on a real hardcore backboard with a neck brace and shit. I managed to give Risa a "rock on" hand sign and saw her roll her eyes


	16. Never Let Go

Chapter sixteen

~Risa~

I got in the driver's side of my black suburban and turned it on. The massive vehicle roared to life around me and I gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands. Until I had grasped something steady I didn't realize how shaky my hands were. Scratch that, how shaky my entire body was. The adrenaline that was pumping through my veins and fueling my body for the past twenty minutes had subsided and it felt as if I had just run a marathon at a full sprint. There was no way in hell I could drive like this if I wanted to get out of the hospital.

"Get in the passenger seat," Emmett had opened my door and not bothered to greet me. I didn't argue however as I slid into the other seat and he took the driver's seat and turned the car around. Since he was a vampire there was no need to worry about his stamina. Driving through the woods at an insane speed made us immune to the bumps and cracks along the roadway, now as we drove through them modestly they could be felt in painful retaliation. Emmett hit a particularly nasty bump that almost sent me headfirst into the ceiling of the SUV.

"Can I turn on the sirens?" Emmett asked a playful grin etching at his lips. I pursed mine.

"What are you nuts?" I asked. "No, if you want to play with the sirens then you should have driven on the way here."

"Eddy-boy wouldn't let me," Emmett pouted. Personally I had to agree with Edward on this one, knowing Emmett; he'd probably drain the car's battery with the sirens. The ambulance designed for rugged terrain went past us with its sirens going. I looked out of the dark window determined not to look at Emmett.

Emmett wasn't exactly the person to talk to when your boyfriend was in the hospital and your two best friends survived being in an SUV that had rolled over on itself a few times. Edward was more of a person for that or even Alice. With a sharp turn Emmett pulled onto the main road from the one we were just on and followed the ambulance back toward the hospital. How the hell the paramedics were able to find us was amazing. The road was empty and we made it back fairly quickly.

When Emmett pulled the Suburban back into the parking lot I barely waited until he cut the engine before jumping out. My body, still laden with all the police gear was heavier than I was used to so I pulled off the Kevlar vest and threw it in the back. The other suburbans and Byakuya's Mercedes pulled into the spots around us and the occupants of each vehicle unloaded.

Renji and Marcus looked as bad as I felt but Jack was by far the worst. The three of them left for the ER entrance without saying a word and simply disappeared behind them. I leaned against the SUV for a moment trying to stop myself from shaking when suddenly somebody tapped my shoulder. I looked up; Jake was standing next to me.

"I rode in the back with Rukia," he explained. "She's pretty banged up but she should be fine."

"What about Jen?" I asked. Jake remained silent, he didn't know anything.

"Captain Kuchiki rode with her, Shuhei drove the Mercedes back," Jake said. "That's all I know. If we go in they might know more."

I looked up at the brick building that I was supposed to be inside anyway. I stood there for a few minutes trying to figure out which was the best way to get back to my room and change into my pajamas so I could fake being left out.

Sam, Jules, Ed and Spike came around the other side of the SUV and saw me talking to Jake. Ed made a motion and Jake left with them. Sam stayed behind and walked over to me. I was sitting on the back bumper of the suburban while everyone else had gone inside.

"Hey," he said sitting on the bumper next to me. I didn't say anything.

"I don't get it," I said finally. Sam looked at me quizzically complete with a cocked eyebrow.

"I do," Sam said quietly. Now I was confused and I cocked my eyebrow at him.

"No," I snapped suddenly angry. "You don't know! You can't say you know! I almost just lost my two best friends not to mention the fact that my boyfriend flat lined the other day. How can you sit there and say 'I get it'?"

I had jumped off the bumper and was standing a good six or seven feet away from the car and was practically screaming in Sam's face for no apparent reason. I staggered slightly and I felt it. The lump in my throat burst and every emotion that I didn't let anyone see over the past few days came out of me.

"I do know," Sam said gently. He got off the back bumper and walked over to me, pulling me into him and hugging me tightly. I was long past the impulse to fight him off and just let him hug me in the middle of the parking lot. With our blonde hair and blue eyes if anyone asked he could be my cousin if not my brother.

"Listen to me," he said as I cried into his shoulder. "My best friend died because I was careless. I was clear to fire and I did. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And when Jules was shot there was nothing I could do. I know the helplessness, the fear, the worry. Risa I do. But you put such a burden on yourself; you do something I don't have the strength to. You're strong when everyone else isn't; you're always there when one of your friends needs you. You were prepared to rappel out a window using blankets. Don't blame yourself, you're stronger than that you were in the right place at the right time. If you didn't raise the alarm then Jen and Rukia wouldn't be alive."

I wiped a few stray tears from my eyes and looked at Sam and together we headed into the ER entrance. I wish I had gone in the front because Amy was standing there, arms crossed, and face livid. To say she livid was an understatement.

"Where the hell have you been?" she barked. I shrunk back. She knew I had snuck out and blatantly disregarded her orders to be on bed rest. A million and one explanations chased each other around in my head and Sam looked like he wanted to help but against Amy all I really had to go on was the truth; which was exactly what I told her from the beginning starting with Jen's little dilemma.

"So then I get there and the underbrush is all over the place and the SUV is flattened on its side and Byakuya's leaning over Jen and Jack's with Rukia" I said. Amy's face was intent. As she leaned against the nurses' station I saw her expression change so many times during my retelling that I had lost count. For being exceptionally angry with me she was a very good audience to my tale, gasping and widening her eyes at the correct moments and such. She told me, midway that they had taken Jen up to surgery to fix her leg which was the worst of her injuries and that Rukia was sedated for now but was expected to make a full recovery.

"That's insane," was all Amy could say when I had concluded with the parking lot. She wasn't livid anymore but perfectly understanding. "I'm still mad but I don't blame you, I would have done the same thing but I would have thought of a more creative way out. Seriously blankets? Is it that bad here that you were reduced to watching old _Rugrats _reruns?"

"On VHS no less," I said. I was much calmer now that I knew Jen and Rukia were going to be ok. Shaking her head Amy left to go do more round leaving me with Sam for a few minutes.

"Do me a huge favor," he asked. I looked at him.

"What," I asked.

"Go up and hug them, Amy, Marcus, Jen and Rukia when they're awake, Hisagi, Renji, Toshiro, Jake and Jack, all of them especially Ichigo. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow and at least make sure they know you care"

I looked at Sam for a moment before I hugged him again.

"Thank you," I said.


	17. Together Again

Chapter Seventeen

~Jen~

_Lazy llamas danced around a field of cherry blossoms. I wanted to join them as they looked so blissful. Then a squirrel came out of the tree and started dancing with the llamas. It was an evil little squirrel hell-bent on world domination with its army of penguins. Someone had to stop them before they took over and enslaved the human race. Then the cherry blossom petals starting flying everywhere much like the ever girly zanpaku-to of my captain. In the midst of the squirrel's penguin army's downfall a monkey flew out of the tree and landed next to me. I saw myself wearing a white kimono and the monkey had red hair. Are monkey's supposed to have read hair? And are they supposed to be carrying pieces of flint? Aren't morphine induced dreams supposed to be pleasant? Why am I asking myself so many questions? _

I let my eyes open to the blinding light of the hospital room. My leg was tacked up with plaster, stiff and hurt like a bitch. My chest was sore and my head was throbbing all in all I felt like shit. I moaned sinking back into my pillows willing for deep unconsciousness to take me away but dreams filled with llamas and evil squirrels didn't override my brain. I kept having flashbacks of the previous night, of the sadistic vampire, the SUV tipping over, Byakuya and Ed staying with me and Marcus walking in on Renji's little moment. Hopefully the fact that I almost just died was enough to keep the two of them from killing each other and if that didn't work there was always their captains.

I looked over at my bedside where I felt a strange pressure on my hand as if someone was holding it. Marcus was there alone, kneeling on the cold hard tile, head resting against the blankets and his hand wrapped around mine. My email and what had happened yesterday flooded my mind and I was unable to look at him for a few minutes. He definitely cared a lot about me. I cared about him but he was more like a brother than a boyfriend and it pained me to feel this way. Why did my love life have to bee so damn confusing or was it the morphine slowly wearing off making me feel this way?

He stirred slightly and I leaned back against my pillows faking sleep. I couldn't work out what I wanted to say to him.

"Hey Jen," he said softly. His voice was right next to my ear. I shivered at how close he was but didn't react anymore. I felt his fingers brush my cheek lightly and I shivered again. Damn my raging teenage hormones.

"Jen," I heard his voice crack. "I'm so sorry, I'm so fucking stupid."

He was crying now, I could feel his tears against my collar bone. I opened my eyes and grabbed his hand as he reached up to stroke my face again.

"You idiot," I muttered to him. "You bloody idiot."

I was crying now, not out of pain or anything; I was just crying. I pulled Marcus into me and we both laid there crying for God knows how long.

"I love you," he managed to choke out after a while. "I got your email when I was in the truck with Hisagi and I couldn't be out in the field I just read it and I just sat there trying not to bleeding cry. And when we found the SUV I just, I just…"

"I get it," I muttered. "Just shut the bleeding hell up."

It all came crashing down on me in that moment. I had dated Marcus back in our third year at Hogwarts because our parents had forced us to because of the whole 'Slytherin pureblood' bullshit. I broke up with him to solely piss of my parents. But now, I realized that we may have our arguments and our Division numbers may be a little too suggestive but I was in love with the guy crying next to me and it would take more than a lifetime of emails to let him know that.

~Risa~

I had pulled off the bullet proof Kevlar vest but was still wearing the rest of the SRU ensemble. The outside windows revealed a foggy overcast as day was breaking and I stopped to stare at it. Had it really been all night? It must have been and that would explain the full exhaustion I was feeling now that all the adrenaline had worn off. It was hard to stand on my own feet and it would be welcome to just sneak into the room I was supposed to be in and fall asleep but I couldn't do that just yet. I still had three floors to climb before I made it to Ichigo's new room and I wasn't going to give up on my promise to Sam either. Exhaustion be damned.

So I fought against myself and finally managed to make it toward Ichigo's room. Opening the door I made my way inside. He was sleeping peacefully, naturally and there was so much I wouldn't give to be doing that just now.

I pulled up a chair and barley managed to avoid collapsing in it. The dull thud of my ass hitting the vinyl woke Ichigo up from his sleep and he cast a bleary eye at my form. After he saw me he was no longer drowsy but fully awake and alert.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded. Of course, all he knew is that Jen and Rukia were kidnapped by Aizen and a vampire and that I was going to save them. Ichigo had wanted to come along too but I had shoved a powerful anesthetic into his system to make sure he didn't do anything stupid like I knew he would. Then again I was one to talk since I was prepared to rappel down three stories using blankets.

"It wasn't Aizen," I said blankly. It took all of my energy just to say three little words but I managed to pull the remainder of the story out of the air and finished the tale with what Sam had told me. When I had finished Ichigo leaned back into the pillows and turned his head to the side to face me.

"Wasn't Aizen the reason we were supposed to be here?" he asked. I had been thinking the same thing. I nodded in response to his question.

"Yamamoto's going to have a field day with this," I muttered. "I guess since we know he's not here there's no real reason for us to stay."

He didn't respond verbally but Ichigo leaned back against his pillows and shut his eyes. When he opened them he looked at me and I averted his gaze. It felt as if he was x-raying me and I didn't like it.

"Talk to me," he said quietly. I didn't say anything right away, what could I have said? I felt like a complete idiot for letting everything get as out of hand as it did. If I hadn't told Jen and Rukia to go home then maybe this wouldn't have happened. Jen wouldn't have a broken femur and Rukia wouldn't be lying so broken in a hospital bed.

"It's not you're fault," Ichigo said firmly. "I can see it in your face. Stop blaming yourself. And if you're gonna start getting on yourself about how my injuries are your fault as well, then—"

I cut off what he had been about to say by pressing my lips firmly against his. He didn't fight or try to push me off but he wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me on top of him.

I heard the door open somewhere and then close almost immediately afterward but I couldn't bring myself to care. I had the moment that I had been needed for days now, everyone knew that and they would let me have it. It wouldn't surprise me if Jen and Marcus had surpassed Ichigo and me in the next room or if Jack and Rukia were already sleeping peacefully under the covers together.

When you joined the Gotei-13 you had a short lifespan due to the increasing danger around you. Your next mission could be your last and there's nothing to take for granted. You friends and family become one in the same and you have to hold onto them, both living and deceased, and never let go.


	18. Just When We Thought It Was All Over

Chapter Eighteen

~Risa~

I woke up some hours later in the hospital but this time in the bed that was supposed to be mine. It was strange because I knew I had fallen asleep next to Ichigo. Actually falling asleep was an understatement, I more like passed out because of all the physical and metal exhaustion I put it through. But I had woken up to an empty hospital room and I just laid there thinking about things when the door opened slightly and Jake poked his head in. I sat up to let him know that I was awake. He walked in and sat on the edge of my bed.

"What's new?" I asked him.

"Toshiro is pissed off," he said, "like ready to explode pissed."

I don't know why but I giggled. Toshiro's short statue made him quite amusing when he was very angry. Pretty soon Jake was laughing too and we both laughed out loud because god knows we needed it.

My cell phone, which wasn't supposed to be turned on the hospital started to ring. Jake reached over my bedside and handed it to me. Great, it was an email from the first division calling my entire team back to the Soul Society. I showed the message to Jake.

He stood up off the bed and wandered around the room picking up my things and throwing them in a bag. He didn't want to waste too much time. I got up and started helping him.

~*~*~*~*

It took awhile but I was back at the Cullen's house packing my things. Amy was with me, packing Jen's things as well as her own. The injured had been sent back to the Soul Society first.

There was a knock at the door and Alice walked in looking slightly depressed. Emmett hung in the doorframe but didn't come in.

"I'm sorry you guys have to go back so soon," she said giving me a hug and picking up my packed suitcase with ease. Emmett walked in and grabbed a few of the others.

"I am too," I said throwing my shampoo and toothbrush into another bag. "This really would have been fun had it not been for the injuries. I'll try to get on century duty over here sometime."

Alice and Emmett helped us carry out bags to the cars and then stood back as Esme and Carlisle came over to say their goodbyes.

"It was nice to see you again Arisa," Esme said giving me a hug. "Please come back soon, you and your friends are always welcome."

"Thank you so much," I said earnestly. "All of you"

"Have fun while Yamamoto berates you!" Emmett called over. I took a breath and got in the Mercedes. Sliding the keys in the ignition I put it in drive and shot out of the driveway. I hated to leave on such a note but duty calls and now I had to subject myself to the captains' meeting that was waiting for me in the Soul Society.

~*~*~*~*~

Yamamoto called the captain's meeting the mere minute I stepped into the Seireitei, oh joy. So now, Jake, Toshiro, Byakuya and I had to go back to the barrack and stand there was the old man berates us on our mission job. Such the life of being a captain and this is one of the times when I hate it dearly.

I usually stood between Komamura and Kenpachi but this time Yamamoto decided to pull out a conference table and have the meeting in his office. This meant that all usual standing arrangements were forgotten and I sat myself down next to Jake pulling out my blackberry and started texting Jen under the table.

"I am sorry to say that we have been mistaken about Aizen hiding out in Forks," the old man started. Beside me Jake was livid. I sent off my text and slid the blackberry into my pocket trying to keep the Byakuya-like stare plastered on my face. The real Byakuya was sitting across from me; face perfectly composed even as Yamamoto was delivering an issue to have all the Soul Reapers not assigned regular duty in the area pulled off. A feat that would require way too much effort on my part and I really didn't feel like cleaning up the old man's mess.

Jake was drumming his fingers on the table, waiting for his chance to speak. I felt it would be better if Jake kept his mouth shut. I would deal with it.

"There is also the matter of the injuries at hand," Yamamoto droned. Jake opened his mouth to retort but Yamamoto cut him off. "There is also the question about the Canadian SWAT team that has been called in to assist you. I know they were at the fiasco at the ministry."

"FML," I muttered under my breath as Yamamoto continued to rant. It was exactly as I figured. Jake Toshiro and I were seriously berated at our lack of skills in front of the other captains. I sat there texting Jen, I had went through NEWT level potions with Severus Snape I little bit of old man jabbering I could handle.

"Alright I get it," I said during a pause in Yamamoto's rant. "Jake, Toshiro and I suck at being a captain and we're now all hated by the rest of you. Should we leave now or do you want a full six day formal resignation?"

I got a few snickers at this but Yamamoto didn't seem to please at my little comment; Jake on the other hand high fived me under the table.

"I do not appreciate your snide remarks Captain Uchimani," Yamamoto snapped at me. "You swore to uphold the honor of the Gotei-13 when you were sworn in as Captain of the Ninth Division."

I didn't say anything and sat out the rest of the meeting. When we were finally released I walked back to my own barrack and sat down at my desk. Miraculously it was clean except for an official letter bearing the Gotei-13 insignia on the seal in my inbox. I picked it up and opened it.

"Fuck," I moaned. It was another mission statement.

----

_Captain Arisa Uchimani, _

_Division Nine of Thirteen Court Guard Divisions_

_After heading a successful sequence of missions in the world of the living it is with honor that you are asked to do so again. There has been a disturbance in the reiatsu distribution in a suburb of Paris, France. Particularly around an educational establishment entitled Kadic Academy. As your records state you have attended Kadic in the past and your skills as a Gotei-13 high ranking officer are needed._

_Date of departure is August 31, 2010. Squad assignments as needed. _

**Elle**_: yeah, I know the ending kinda sucks and it's abrupt but I needed it to lead into the next installment of the series which I should be posting soon. Yay OC saga!_

**Risa**_: so who gets killed/maimed and/or seriously injured this time?_

**Elle: **_shut up, you are under a binding legal contract_

**Risa: **_oh…shit it's probably going to me_

**Elle**_: maybe…..who said it had to be physical?_

**Risa**_: …_


End file.
